Studied by 0 peopleWhat are the people who make maps called?
Cartographers
What are the 3 types of regions?
formal, functional, perceptual
What is distortion?
cartographers converting the 3D globe onto a flat map and the curves becoming straight
What is the name of the line of longitude that divides the Earth into the Western and Eastern Hemispheres?
Prime Meridian
What is relative location?
describes a place in comparison to other places around it; "The hospital is northeast of STM"
What is a physical map?
a map that shows landforms, bodies of water, and other natural features; shows location and topography of the Earth's land features; highlight relief
Which projection shows Earth centered to where a straight line coming from the center to any other point represents the shortest distance?
Planar Projection
What is a political map?
Provides the boundaries and locations of political units such as countries, states, counties, cities, capitals, and towns; majority of features are human made
What are 3 geospatial technologies?
GIS, remote sensing, GPS
Which line of latitude represents 0 degrees latitude?
Equator
Why do planets revolve around the sun?
the sun's enormous mass that creates a strong pull of gravity keeping planets in orbit
How many regular planets does the solar system have?
8
What are meteoroids?
pieces of space debris made up of chunks of rock and iron (burn up before hitting Earth's surface)
How do meteoroids differ from meteorites in space?
meteorites actually collide with Earth's surface
Hydrosphere
The oceans, lakes, rivers, underground water, and other bodies of water that make up a part of the Earth
Highest point on earth
Mount Everest
deepest known depression on earth
Mariana Trench
Core
innermost layer of the Earth made up of a super-hot but solid inner core and a super-hot liquid outer core
mantle
thick middle layer of the Earth's interior structure consisting of hot rock that is dense but flexible
crust
outer layer of the Earth, a hard rocky shell forming Earth's surface
weathering
The chemical and physical processes that break down rock at Earth's surface
How is weathering different than erosion?
erosion is the movement of weathered rock by wind and water
Continental Drift Theory
the idea that continents slowly shift their positions due to movement of the tectonic plates on which they ride
Glaciers
A large body of ice that moves across the surface of the Earth
Wind and water
two major external forces that change the Earth's surface
Why do all places on Earth not receive the same amount of direct sunlight?
tilt of the axis and revolution
Midnight Sun
continuous daylight, a time when the sun is visible at midnight during the summer in either the Arctic or Antarctic Circle
Greenhouse Effect
The term used to describe the capacity of certain gases in the atmosphere to trap heat, thereby warning the Earth
How does elevation affect temperature?
The Earth's atmosphere thins as latitude increase, and less dense air retains less heat; as elevation increases, temperature decreases
Coriolis effect
Direction of prevailing winds in affected by Earth's movement; causes prevailing winds to blow diagonally
What happens in an El Nino year?
A periodic change in the pattern of ocean currents, water temperatures, and weather in the mid-Pacific region; normally low atmospheric pressure over the western pacific is replaced by higher pressure (changes wind patterns and ocean currents)
Vegetation of the Tropical Rainforest
Full of thick vegetation that grows in layers with tall trees forming a canopy over shorter ones
Desert climate
Extremely dry areas that receive only about 10 inches of rainfall or less a year; little animal and plant life; some underground springs undergo oasis; temps vary widely from day to night
Tundra climate
Found closer to Poles; winter darkness and bitter cold lasts for months while summer has limited warming; trees can not establish roots; layer of thawed soil is thinner than subarctic
cultural diffusion
the spread of cultural elements from one society to another
How many people currently live on Earth?
7 billion
zero population growth
when the birth rate equals the death rate
negative population growth
when the death rate exceeds the birth rate
population distribution
the variations in population that occur across a country, a continent, or the world
urbanization
resulting growth of city populations brought by migration
Theocracy
A divine power is thought to be the head of the government (Islamic sharia law is imposed in parts of North Africa today)
Autocracy
Any system of government in which the power and authority to rule belongs to a single individual (dictatorship)
Oligarchy
A government ruled by a few powerful people
Missouri river
the longest river in the United States
Rocky Mountains
Longest mountain range in North America
Great Plains
Vast amounts of semiarid grassland; have an area of approximately 1,125,000 square miles; covers parts of 10 U.S. states
Great Salt Lake
Largest saltwater lake in North America; found in Utah
5 Great Lakes
Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior
Lake Superior
the largest freshwater lake in the world (and great lake)
Yukon River
played an important transportation role during Klondike Gold Rush
Columbia River
has 19 hydroelectric dams that provide electricity
Which two states does the Columbia River run through?
Canada to Oregon
Grand Canyon
created due to erosion caused by the Colorado River
Mojave Desert
smallest and driest desert in the United States
New Orleans
city located on the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain
Atlas Mountains
Africa's longest mountain range
Nile River
longest river in the world
Meditrranean Sea
A sea that divides Africa and Europe
Niger River
main artery in western africa
Sahara Desert
a savannah of grasslands between 9000 and 4000 BC
Khartoum
where the Blue and White Nile Rivers meet (capitol of Sudan)
Why were the pyramids built?
tombs for pharaohs
Eastern and Western Rift Valley
two branches of the Great Rift Valley
Mount Kilimanjaro
Africa's highest mountain
Serengeti Plain
A vast ecosystem of grassy plains that spans 12,000 square miles; known for huge herds of plain animals
Two biggest agricultural exports in East Africa
coffee and cotton
Desertification
Occurs when areas of fertile land become increasingly arid; caused by human and environmental factors such as drought and poor farming
What disease has turned into an epidemic in East Africa?
AIDS
How many elephants are killed a year from poaching?
80,000
Why do rhinos face extinction?
Because of the demand for their horns, which are used in traditional Asian medicines
Cacao
most common and vital cash crop found in West Africa
Nigeria
projected to have 400 million people by 2050 and become the world's third-most populous country ahead of the U.S.
Lagos
Largest city in Nigeria
ECOWAS
Group of 15 countries founded in 1975 to promote economic integration across West Africa (regional trade association)
Mount Cameroon
largest and only active volcano in the Cameroon Highlands
sources of poor sanitation in West Africa
Lack of indoor plumbing; open defecation; spread of diseases; lack of adequate health care; no good areas to dispose trash
4 common West African languages
English, French, Arabic, Yoruba
Ghana
West African country that has experienced the most success in education
great circle route
Mark the shortest distance that an object can travel between 2 points
Globe
A scale model of the Earth that depicts properties such as area, distance, and direction
Longitude
Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees; runs north to south
Latitude
Distance north or south of the equator (parallel)
Equator
Divides the Earth in half, creating Northern and Southern Hemispheres
Erosion
The movement of weathered rock and material by wind, glaciers, and moving water
plate tectonics
The term scientists use to describe the activities of continental drift and magma flow, which create many of Earth's physical features
continental drift
The theory that the continents were once joined and then slowly drifted apart
Climate
Weather patterns typical for an area over a long period of time
Weather
Condition of the atmosphere in one place during a short period of time
greenhouse effect
The capacity of certain gases in the atmosphere to trap heat, thereby warming the Earth
El Nino
A periodic reversal of the pattern of ocean currents and water temperatures in the mid-pacific region
population density
The average number of people living on a square mile or square kilometer of land
Nomad
A member of wandering pastoral people
Nationalism
A belief in the right of a nation to be an independent state
subsistence farming
Occurs when a farmer's family consumes most of what is produced and then the rest is sold at market
nuclear family
A family unit made up of a husband, wide, and children
map title
tells the subject of the map
compass rose
A tool on a map showing cardinal (N,E,S,W) and intermediate (NE,SE,NW,SW) directions.
map legend (key)
a box or other display on a map that explains the meaning of the symbols used on the map
Line symbols
Represent features such as roads, rivers and railway lines
map scale
The relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth's surface
Note
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