Latitude and LongitudeMaps and globes usually have lines on them to help locate places on Earth. These lines are called latitude and longitude.
Latitude Lines
circle the globe in an east-west direction parallel to the equator.
measure how far north or south a point on Earth is from the equator.
The equator is 0o latitude. North of the equator
locations are from 0o to 90oN
South of the equator locations are from 0o to 90oSLines of Latitude Vide
o
Longitude Longitude lines run from
the North to the South Pole
The Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England is 0o longitude
East of the Prime Meridian the values are 0 to 180oE
West of the Prime Meridian the values are 0 to 180o W
Lines of Longitude
Hemispheres
By using the equator and prime meridian, we can divide the world into four hemispheres, north, south, east, and west.
Northern Hemisphere
The majority of land and the majority of the world's population is in the Northern Hemisphere, so we tend to orient world maps with North at the top
N.America
Africa
Asia
CompassA compass is a tool that helps the user know what direction one is headed.
North does NOT always point up
Compass Rose
The needle on a compass is magnetized to point to the earth's north magnetic pole. Thus with a compass, a person can roughly tell which direction they are headed.
Directions
The cardinal directions are north, south, east, and west.
The intermediate directions are northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest.
They help describe the location of places in relation to other places.
Scale Maps are made to scale; that is,
there is a direct connection between a unit of measurement on the map and the actual distance.
For example, each inch on the map represents one mile on Earth. So, a map of a town would show a mile-long strip of fast food joints and auto dealers in one inch.
Map Legends The legend is the key to unlocking the
secrets of a map. Objects or colors in the legend represent something on the map.
Religions Legend