Unit 1- Geography Vocabulary

continent

one of Earth's seven large bodies of land

hemisphere

one of the halves of the Earth

equator

an imaginary line circling Earth halfway between the North and South Poles; zero degrees latitude

latitude

distance north or south of the equator, measured by a set of imaginary lines that run east and west around the Earth

longitude

distance east or west of the Prime Meridian measured by a set of imaginary lines that run north and south from Earth's poles

Prime Meridian

the line of longitude marked zero degrees on the world map from which longitude east and west are measured

cardinal directions

north, south, east, west

intermediate directions

northwest, southwest, southeast, northeast

map key

a list of symbols that tells what each symbol stands for

locator

a small map that shows where the subject area of a main map is located

absolute location

the latitude and longitude of a place (35°N 30°W)

relative location

the location of a place in relation to another place (the United States is south of Canada)

scale

a unit of measure on a map, such as an inch, that is used to represent a distance on Earth

map symbol

something that stands for something else on a map (star represents a capital city)

political map

a map mainly showing divisions such as national or state boundaries, cities, and capitals

physical map

a map that shows natural features of Earth, such as lakes, rivers, mountains, and deserts

elevation map

a map that shows the height of land above sea level

historical map

a map that shows information about the past

International Date Line

an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth that runs from the north to the south pole and separates one calendar day from the next

cartographer

a map maker