Correct datatype for latitude and longitude? (in activerecord)

Question

Should I store latitude and longitude as strings or floats (or something else)?

(I\'m using activerecord / ruby on rails, if that matters).

Update:

Mysql

Answer 1

Since they're fixed precision, you should convert and store as integer for a significant performance improvement.

(SEE http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.1/static/datatype-numeric.html#DATATYPE-NUMERIC-DECIMAL)