Latitude and Longitude/Maps

Why should Geography matter?

• international relationships are constantly and rapidly shifting

• to better understand how globalization affects you

• to be better-informed players on the “world-stage” (geographically literate)

How do places effect you?

The unique characteristics of a place yields development of new technology and culture; places are also settings for social interaction

Why is earth not a perfect sphere?

Because it has a geoidal bulge at the equator

Geoidal Bulge

The earth’s equatorial diameter is greater than its polar diameter

What is the latitude and longitude grid system used for?

To locate places on the surface of the earth

Parallels of Latitude

parallel lines on the earth the run East-West, measured North or South of the equator

What degrees does latitude start and end with?

0 (at the equator) - 90 (North or South poles)

Meridians of Longitude

non-parallel lines on the earth that run North-South, measured East or West of the Prime Meridian

What degrees does longitude start and end with?

0 (at the Prime Meridian) to 180 (at the International Date LIne)

How are the degrees of latitude and longitude divided?

By minutes and seconds

How do you write earth coordinates?

Latitude, Longitude

Tropic of Cancer

23.5 degrees North

Tropic of Capricorn

23.5 degrees South

Arctic Circle

66.5 degrees North

Antarctic Circle

66.5 degrees South

North Pole

90 degrees North

South Pole

90 degrees South

International Date Line

180 degrees

What are time zones determined by?

The Earth’s rotation and the Meridians of Longitude

How many degrees of longitude is one time zone?

15 degrees

Greenwich Mean Time

the local time in London, England (Greenwich)

How do you determine the difference in time (zones) between 2 locations?

By taking the difference in longitude and dividing it by 15

Transferring the globe onto a flat surface often causes…

distortion of the physical size and shape of the earth

Mercator projection

the most commonly used map projection

Scale

the ratio of distance on a map to the actual distance on the group

How is scale shown on a map?

Written scale, representative fraction, or a graphic (bar) scale

Example of a written scale

one-inch equals four miles

Example of a representative fraction scale

1:24,000 inches

Large-scale map

shoes a small area of the Earth’s surface is more detail

Small scale map

shows a large area of the Earth’s surface with less detail

Thematic Maps

shows the distribution of phenomena (climate, language, boundaries) to show relationships between places or diffusion

Spatial Distribution

The arrangement of landscape on a feature being studied

What do geographers’ study about spatial distribution?

Why it is the way that it is and what causes it

Three properties of spatial distribution

Density, Concentration, Patterm

Density

frequency with which a feature/phenomenon occurs within a given area

Concentration

how the arrangement of a feature or phenomenon is spread over a unit of area

Pattern

the geometric arrangement of a feature across the landscape

Absolute Space

mathematical construct described through points, lines, areas, planes, and configurations (lat and long)

Relative space

nature and degree of connectivity between locations (down the street)

Types of Relative Space

Topological, Socioeconomic, Cultural

Topological space

degree of connectivity of people and places (routes of a subway system)

Socioeconomic space

how spatial relationships are fixed through measures of time, cost, profit, and production (measuring the inequalities among places or regions)

Cultural Space

space of people with common ties, the places, territories and settings which carry special meaning ( your neighborhood, country)

Cognitive Space

a person’s values, feelings, beliefs, and perceptions about a place or region

Mental Map

the image in your mind of a particular, area, place, or route; involves your environmental perception, your memories of a place or route