Accessing CRS Details
Coordinate reference systems (CRSs) are distinguished by several parameters, including (among others) their units and the location of their standards. This tutorial covers finding specific details of a coordinate reference system (CRS).
Included in this tutorial:
Accessing coordinate reference system details
Software version in examples: QGIS-LTR 3.40.5-Bratislava
Tutorial Data: The tutorial uses the 1:10m Admin 0 - Countries shapefile downloaded from Natural Earth.
Credits: Sally Kaye and L. Meisterlin (2025)
Related Tutorials:
The data used in this tutorial is…
Natural Earth. “Admin 0 - Countries.” [shapefile]. 1:10m Cultural Vectors, version 5.1.1. 12 May 2022. Accessed 17 June 2025 from https://www.naturalearthdata.com/downloads/10m-cultural-vectors/.
Accessing CRS Details
Coordinate reference system details are built into the process of picking a new CRS for a map canvas or layer. You can quickly access those details by navigating to the project’s CRS properties.
First, open the CRS window by navigating through Project > Properties > CRS or clicking on the CRS code at the bottom right of the map canvas.
Next, browse or search for a specific CRS. In the example below, the World Miller Cylindrical is found by clicking through Projected > Miller Cylindrical.
Lastly, the CRS details will be displayed in the box in the bottom-left portion of the window. Scroll up and down to see the CRS’s properties, its parameters in different formats, and its extent.
accessing a CRS and its details