Coordinate geometry describes the position of points on a plane using an ordered pair of numbers in a Cartesian coordinate system. French mathematician René Descartes developed this system in the 1600s. The system uses two perpendicular axes, the x-axis and y-axis, that intersect at the origin point (0,0). Values to the right of the origin on the x-axis and above the origin on the y-axis are positive, while values to the left and below are negative. Together the axes divide the plane into four quadrants. The document provides examples of finding the abscissa (x-coordinate) and ordinate (y-coordinate) of points, as well as answering questions to test understanding of coordinate geometry concepts.