What is 1/60th of a degree called?

When discussing angular measurement in the context of geographic coordinates, 1/60th of a degree is commonly referred to as a minute. The division of a degree into smaller parts is a standard practice in fields such as navigation, meteorology, and cartography.

To elaborate, an entire degree can be subdivided into 60 minutes (denoted by the symbol '), reflecting the base-60 numerical system that has been historically used in measuring angles. Therefore, the correct terminology indicates that 1 minute represents this specific fractional part of a degree.

Understanding this system is crucial since precise measurements are necessary in various GIS applications for tasks like mapping, data analysis, and geospatial calculations. Other potential choices do not fit into the established conventions of angular measurement; for instance, a second, which is 1/60th of a minute, represents a further subdivision of a degree and is not applicable in this context. Similarly, an hour is a time measurement and has no direct relation to angular degrees.