Map Skills

Vocabulary
Geography
The study of
earths physical
and cultural
features.
Example:
Understanding
the locations
of places on
earth.
Example:
understanding
a regions
climate,
landforms, and
animal life.
Geographer:
Someone who
studies the earths
physical and
cultural features.
Example:
Geographers study:
Earths Processes
Relationship b/w people
and the environment.
Government changes.
Religions
Diets
Rural and Urban Areas
 GLOBE
A spherical
scale model of
the Earth

Its useful for

looking at the
entire Earth
 MAP
A flat diagram of all or part of
the Earths surface
 How does global temperature vary?

equator

cold hot pdf handout

http://geography.uoregon.edu/envchange/clim_animations/index.html
 MAP PROJECTION
One of many ways to present
a round Earth on a flat map
Ex.
lMercator

lRobinson
 LATITUDE
A measure of distance north
or south of the equator
Run East-West
across globe

0 to 90 North or
0 to 90 South
 EQUATOR
Imaginary line of latitude that
circles the globe halfway
between N & S Poles

0 Degrees
 PARALLELS
Another name for lines of
latitude

All run parallel to equator

 DEGREE
A unit of measurement of
distance on the Earths
surface

Symbol is
 MINUTE
Degrees are further broken
down into minutes (A unit of
measurement SMALLER than a
degree)
l60 Minutes in 1 Degree

Symbol is
 LONGITUDE
A measure of distance east
or west of the Prime Meridian

Runs from North

to South Pole

0 to 180 East or
0 to 180 West
 PRIME MERIDIAN
Imaginary line of longitude
that runs from the North to
South Pole through
Greenwich, England

0 Longitude
 MERIDIANS
Another name for a line of
longitude
 HEMISPHERES
ne-Half (1/2) of the Earth
O

4 Hemispheres
lNorthern

lSouthern

lEastern

lWestern
 ATLAS
An organized collection of
maps in one book
 COMPASS ROSE
A directional indicator
that indicates North,
South, East, & West
 SCALE
Part of a map that
indicates the distance
between points on a map

Ex: 1 on map
= 100 Miles
 LEGEND
Part of map that explains
what the symbols of the
map represent

Ex: = Capital City