Geography Skills Vocabulary

Latitude

distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees

Longitude

Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees

Equator

An imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole, 0° latitude

Prime Meridian

designated at 0° longitude, which passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England.

cartographer

a person who makes maps

hemisphere

half of the earth

compass rose

A tool on a map showing cardinal (N,E,S,W) and intermediate (NE,SE,NW,SW) directions.

absolute location

Exact location of a place on the earth described by global coordinates

map

A visual representation of an area that shows geographic features, boundaries, and other relevant information, typically used for navigation or understanding spatial relationships.

globe

A spherical representation of Earth that illustrates geographic features, continents, oceans, and countries, often used to understand global geography.

GIS (Geographic Information System)

A computer system that captures, stores, analyzes, and displays multiple layers of geographic information.

aerial photograph

A photograph taken from the air, usually by an aircraft or drone, that provides a view of the Earth's surface and is used for mapping,

satellite

A device placed in orbit around Earth that collects data and transmits information about the planet's surface, weather, and environment.

spatial

understanding where things are located in relation to each other. (maps and globes help with this information)

temporal

relating to time, especially concerning the timing of events or phenomena. (think about timelines)

parallels

lines of latitude that run parallel to the equator, used to measure distance north or south of it.

coordinates

a set of numbers that determine the position of a point on a map using latitude and longitude.