GeoJSON: geography inside JSON
Read a real Feature, identify geometry and properties, and understand what GeoJSON does—and does not—define.
Why this matters
GeoJSON is small, readable, widely supported, and useful for moving simple geographic features between APIs, files, browsers, and GIS tools.
Learn it
GeoJSON is defined by RFC 7946. A Feature combines geometry with properties. A FeatureCollection groups Features. Positions are longitude, latitude, with optional altitude as a third number. GeoJSON describes geographic data; it does not define authentication, HTTP behavior, synchronization, or business workflow.
Work through an example
A station can be represented as a Point Feature whose properties carry a station ID, name, source, and status.
{
"type": "Feature",
"geometry": {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [-122.3321, 47.6062]},
"properties": {"name": "Example station"}
}Practice
- 1Open the GeoJSON exercise and identify type, geometry, coordinates, and properties.
- 2Change one property without changing the geometry.
- 3Change the coordinates and explain exactly which part of the record moved.
Try it
Read and edit GeoJSON
GeoJSON is a JSON format for geographic features. RFC 7946 positions use longitude first, latitude second, with optional altitude as a third value.
What to watch for
Do not reverse latitude and longitude because a user interface displays them in the opposite conversational order.
Where this takes you
Use GeoJSON for browser maps, API payloads, imports/exports, examples, tests, and interchange between many GIS-aware applications.