Map Vocabulary

compass rose

a tool to indicate (show) direction on a map

cardinal directions

the 4 primary (main) directions; North (N), South (S), East (E), West (W) used to find places on a map

coast

the land area that borders a large body of water like an ocean, sea, lake or river

intermediate directions

the directions BETWEEN the cardinal directions: Northeast, Southeast, northwest, and Southwest

ocean

a body of SALT water; covering 70.8%of the Earth

lake

a large body of FRESH water

river

a natural stream of FRESH, FLOWING water

mountain

a land mass that has steep sides and a pointed top

longitude lines

the lines that run up and down the map like long hair

latitude lines

the lines that run horizontally on a map, like the rungs (steps) on a ladder

poles (on a globe)

the endpoints where all lines of longitude converge (come together)  

equator

an imaginary line around the Earth; 0* latitude; a line equal distance from the poles; divides the Earth into 2 equal parts

Prime Meridian

an imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres; it is defined as 0° longitude.

hemisphere

one half (½) of a sphere (circle) like the Earth