World Geo - Unit 1 Visual Vocabulary - 17646879

Absolute location

The precise point where a place is located on Earth.

Axis

An imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole through the center of Earth.

Boundary

A real or imaginary line that marks the limits of an area.

Cardinal directions

The four main directions on a compass rose:north, south, east, and west.

Climate

Weather patterns typical for an area over a long period of time.

Compass rose

A diagram on a map that shows directions such as north, south, east, and west.

Continent

The seven largest areas of land on Earth.

Equator

The line of latitude at 0° that runs east to west and separates the Earth into northern and southern hemispheres.

Formal region

A region defined by a common characteristic, such as production of a product.

Functional region

A central place and the surrounding territory linked to it.

Hemisphere

One half of a sphere; Earth can be divided into eastern and western hemispheres or into northern and southern hemispheres.

Human features

Man-made things.

Human environment interaction

The way human beings adapt to, modify, and interact with their environment.

Intangible boundary

A boundary that cannot be physically seen or touched.

Latitude

An imaginary line around Earth that runs parallel to the equator.

Location

Where something is on the Earth’s surface.

Longitude

An imaginary line between the North and South poles that crosses the equator at right angles; runs parallel to the prime meridian.

Map key (map legend)

A box or other display on a map that explains the meaning of the symbols used on the map.

Map projection

A way of representing the spherical Earth on a flat surface.

Map scale

An element of a map that shows how a unit of distance on the map relates to actual distance on the surface of Earth.

Movement

The process by which goods, people, and ideas are moved.

Perceptual region

A region defined by popular feelings and emotions rather than by objective data.

Physical boundary

Naturally occurring boundaries (rivers, mountain ranges, etc.).

Physical features

Naturally occurring things.

Polar zone

The area between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole or between the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole, where the climate is generally cold.

Prime meridian

The meridian of longitude labeled 0 degrees, runs from North to South and separates the Earth into Eastern and Western hemispheres.

Relative location

Where a place is located in relation to another place.

Region

An area defined by one or more natural or cultural characteristics that set it apart from other areas.

Temperate zone

The area between Earth’s tropical zones and polar zones, where the climate is relatively mild.

Tropical zone

Area between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer and between the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, where the climate is generally hot.

Tropic of Cancer

The northernmost line of latitude where the sun’s rays never beat straight down (23.5°N); marks the northern limit of the tropical zone.

Tropic of Capricorn

The southernmost line of latitude where the sun’s rays never beat straight down (23.5°S); marks the southern limit of the tropical zone.