Where Are the Large Cities in the World? Continents, Oceans, Latitude, and Longitude

A comprehensive vocabulary review of key geographic terms from the lecture notes, including hemispheres, important lines of latitude and longitude, and the global grid system.

Grid system

A network formed by imaginary lines of latitude and longitude that helps locate places on the earth's surface accurately.

Lines of latitude

Imaginary lines that circle the earth in an east-west direction, measured in degrees from the Equator to the North Pole and South Pole.

Equator

The line of latitude set at $0^\circ$ that divides the earth into two halves: the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.

Northern Hemisphere

The half of the earth situated to the north of the Equator.

Southern Hemisphere

The half of the earth situated to the south of the Equator.

North Pole

The northernmost point on the earth, located at a latitude of $90^\circ\text{N}$.

South Pole

The southernmost point on the earth, located at a latitude of $90^\circ\text{S}$.

Tropic of Cancer

An important line of latitude located at $23\frac{1}{2}^\circ\text{N}$.

Tropic of Capricorn

An important line of latitude located at $23\frac{1}{2}^\circ\text{S}$.

Arctic Circle

An important line of latitude located at $66\frac{1}{2}^\circ\text{N}$.

Antarctic Circle

An important line of latitude located at $66\frac{1}{2}^\circ\text{S}$.

Lines of longitude

Imaginary lines running from the North Pole to the South Pole, measured in degrees east and west from the Prime Meridian.

Prime Meridian

The line of longitude set at $0^\circ$ that passes through the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London.

Royal Observatory Greenwich

The landmark in London through which the Prime Meridian ($0^\circ$ longitude) passes.

Eastern Hemisphere

The half of the earth located to the east of the Prime Meridian.

Western Hemisphere

The half of the earth located to the west of the Prime Meridian.

Locating places by coordinates

The rule in English stating that places are identified by reading latitude first, followed by longitude (for example, Hong Kong at $22^\circ\text{N},\, 114^\circ\text{E}$).