Map Skills Glossary

1. Map Skills Glossary Degrees - The unit for measuring distance on a map. Example: 15 N, 30 S degrees Equator • The equator is an imaginary line separating the northern and southern hemispheres. • The equator is exactly half way between the north and south poles. • It is located at zero degrees latitude.

2. Hemisphere • A hemisphere is one half of the planet. • The hemispheres are divided along the equator or the Prime Meridian. The equator divides the northern and southern hemispheres. The Prime Meridian divides the eastern and western hemispheres.

3. Line of Latitude • Lines of latitude are the horizontal lines on a map that mark the distance north or south of the equator.

4. Lines of Longitude Lines of longitude are the vertical lines on a map that mark the distance east and west of the Prime Meridian. Prime Meridian • The Prime Meridian is an imaginary line separating the western and eastern hemispheres. • It is located at zero degrees longitude.

5. Objective: To examine the major forms of land masses and bodies of water.

6. Island – land area that is surrounded by water Long Island Archipelago – chain of islands Hawaiian Islands

7. Cape – Narrow point of land that extends into a body of water Cape Cod, MA Peninsula – piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides Florida

8. Hill – area of raised land that is lower and more rounded than a mountain Hills Acadia National Park Maine Mountain – high, steep, rugged land that rises sharply above the surrounding land. Mount McKinley, Alaska

9. Plain – broad area of fairly level land that is generally close to sea level Plains Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation Wyoming Plateau – large area of high, flat, or gently rolling land Bateke Plateau Gabon, Africa

10. Desert – area that has little or no moisture or vegetation Sahara Desert, Africa Coast – land that borders the sea Jones Beach

11. Continent – any of seven large land masses on the Earth’s surface Europe Africa North America Asia Australia South America Antarctica

12. Isthmus – narrow strip of land joining two large land areas or joining a peninsula to a mainland. Isthmus of Panama Strait – narrow channel that connects two larger bodies of water Strait of Gibraltar

13. Tributary – stream or small river that flows into a larger stream or river tributary map of Lake Erie River – large stream of water that empties into an ocean, lake, or another river Hudson and Mohawk Rivers

14. Bay – part of a body of water that is partly enclosed by land Jamaica Bay Gulf– arm of an ocean or sea that is partly enclosed by land, usually larger than a bay. Gulf of Mexico

15. Lake – body of fresh water surrounded by land Great Lakes Sea – large body of salt water that is smaller than an ocean Black Sea

16. Ocean – any of the large bodies of salt water on the Earth’s surface. Arctic Ocean C Atlantic Ocean B Pacific Ocean A Indian Ocean D

17. Objective: To identify and discuss the five themes of geography. People Geography a group of persons united by a common culture, tradition, and usually language the study of people, their environments, and their resources Environment the social and cultural forces that shape the life of a person or a population Resources a source of support that can be readily drawn upon when needed. the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors surrounding a given organism at any time. the natural wealth of a country, consisting of land, forests, mineral deposits, water, etc.

18. Movement 5 Themes of Geography Physical features (climate, animals, etc.) Place Human features (languages, houses etc.) movement of people, goods, and ideas MR.LIP Interaction between people and their environment Region Location Examples: hunting, farming an area that has similar, unifying characteristics position on the Earth’s surface