Geography Terms - 7th Grade (copy)

Review of Terms

Geography

The study of human and non-human features of the globe.

Political Map

A representation that shows the boundaries, cities, and capitals of countries, emphasizing the political divisions of the land.

Physical Map

A representation that illustrates the natural features of the earth's surface, such as mountains, rivers, and forests.

Region

An area defined by common characteristics, which can be physical, cultural, or political in nature.

Sphere

Round shaped three dimensional object.

Plate

Layer of the Earth's crust that moves and interacts with other plates.

Latitude

The measure of distance north or south of the equator, expressed in degrees. It helps in determining a location's position on the Earth's surface.

Longitude

The distance of a point east or west of the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees.

Prime Meridian

The line of 0 degrees longitude that divides the Western and Eastern Hemispheres, serving as the reference point for time zones.

Equator

An imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, located equally from the North and South Poles.

International Dateline

An imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, showingthe change of one calendar day to the next, located at 180 degrees longitude.

Hemisphere

A half of the Earth, divided into Northern and Southern or Eastern and Western by the Equator and Prime Meridian.

Rotation

The spinning of a planet around its axis, which causes day and night. 24 Hours

Revolution

The motion of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, which takes about one year to complete. 365 ¼ Days

Axis

An imaginary line that passes through the center of a planet, around which it rotates.

Orbit

The path an Earth takes as it revolves around the sun in space due to gravitational attraction.

Absolute Location

The exact position of a place on the Earth's surface, typically defined by coordinates of latitude and longitude.

Relative Location

The position of a place in relation to other places, often described in terms of distance or direction.

Tropic of Cancer

The northernmost latitude at which the sun can be directly overhead. It is located at approximately 23.5 degrees north of the equator.

Tropic of Capricorn

an imaginary line located at 23.5 degrees south of the equator, marking the southernmost point where the sun can be directly overhead.

Equinox

The two times of the year when day and night are of approximately equal length, occurring around March 21 and September 23.

Solstice

The two times of the year when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, occurring around June 21 and December 21.

Daylight Savings Time

A practice of moving the clock forward by one hour during warmer months to extend evening daylight.