Download Landforms Maps Study Guide

Landforms/Maps Study Guide (please save so it can be reviewed for the CRCT)
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landform: a kind of land with a special shape, such as a mountain, hill, or plain
map title: tells what a map is about
map legend: tells what each map symbol means; also known as the map key
map grid: a set of lines that divide a map into columns and rows of squares (example B2,
C4)
 People use different kinds of maps to help them locate places.
 map scale: a part of a map that helps you find real distance, tells how far one place is from
another place
 country: an area of land with its own people and its own laws (example: United States of
America)
 The continent of North America includes three large countries: U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico.
It also includes many smaller countries that make up Central America.
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Types of landforms:
plains- a large, low area of flat or rolling land with few trees (in the center of the U.S.A. is a
region known as the Great Plains)
hills - land that rises above the land around it
mountains- a very high hill formed by plates shifting
peninsula – a piece of land surrounded on 3 sides by water
island – a piece of land surrounded on all sides by water
plateau – a flat area of land that is higher than the area around it
valley – an area of low land between mountains or hills
volcano – a hole in the Earth’s crust through which lava, gases, and ash are released
canyon – a deep valley with steep sides
glacier – a large mass of ice that moves very slowly down a mountain or through a valley
gulf – a large body of salt water that is partly enclosed by land
Bodies of water:
ocean- a very large body of salt water (3/4 of the world is covered by oceans)
river – a long body of water that flows across the land
lake – a body of water that has land all around it
A map of North America shows the countries, landforms, and bodies of water found on and
around the continent.
cardinal directions: the main directions of north, south, east, and west
intermediate directions: secondary directions of northeast, southeast, southwest, and
northwest
hemisphere: the halves that the Earth is divided into by lines of latitude and longitude
equator: an imaginary line around the center of the Earth that divides it into the northern
and southern hemispheres; it is located at 0° latitude
latitude: lines running east to west on a map that show how far north or south something is
from the equator
prime meridian: a line that divides the Earth into the eastern and western hemispheres; it
is located at 0° longitude
longitude: lines running north to south on a map that show how far east or west something
is from the prime meridian
the country of Greece is located in the eastern and northern hemispheres; the U.S. is
located in the northern and western hemispheres
compass rose: shows the cardinal directions on a map or globe
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Types of maps:
Political map – shows boundaries of countries, states, and counties; shows the location of
major cities; usually includes significant bodies of water
Physical map – shows country borders, major cities, significant bodies of water, and the
location of landforms like deserts, mountains, and plains
Topographical map – shows the elevation of landforms on the Earth’s surface and the
depths of the oceans
Product map – shows the major products produced in a state/country or where they are
grown
Population map – shows the number of people located in different portions of a region
Road map – shows where main highways, roads, cities, and towns are located
Globe – the best map for seeing the real size and shape of the continents; looks as if you’re
looking down on the world; a flat map changes the size and shape of the continents so it is
not as accurate
On a map:
 Stars frequently indicate capital cities
 Various sized and colored circles usually indicate city locations
and their relative size.
0
100
200
300
400
500
OR
1 in. = 50 miles
Numbered lines as above - called a SCALE
- give information relating to distance.
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Major rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges of the U.S.:
The Great Lakes – largest lakes in the U.S.; located in the northeast; 5 lakes, 4 of which
stretch into Canada
The Great Salt Lake – located in Utah; second largest lake in the U.S.
Hudson River – runs through New York and empties into the Atlantic Ocean
Ohio River – used by settlers to get further west; forms the southern boundary of the state
of Ohio; empties into the Mississippi River
Mississippi River – second largest river in the U.S.; many rivers empty into it; Mississippi
means “big river”
Missouri River – longest river in the U.S.; about 100 miles longer than the Mississippi
Colorado River – located in Colorado; helped to form the Grand Canyon
Rio Grande River – begins in Colorado and empties into the Gulf of Mexico; forms part of
the border between the U.S. and Mexico
Rocky Mountains – located in the western part of the U.S.; the western Continental Divide
is located in these mountains (the rivers to the west of this Divide flow into the Pacific or
Gulf of California, those to the east flow into the Gulf of Mexico)
Appalachian Mountains – located in the eastern part of the U.S.; our region of Georgia is
in the foothills of this mountain range
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Layers of the Earth:
The Earth is made up of layers: crust, mantle, core
crust: we walk on this layer; it is only a few miles thick; made up of plates (these plates
move slowly on melted magma and eventually push into each other which can cause
mountains to form; the largest mountain range in the world is the Himilaya Mountains;
Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world)
mantle: made up of very hot rock called magma which can seep up through volcanoes and
is then called lava; thickest layer
core: made up of melted iron and nickel
International Date Line
An imaginary line through the Pacific Ocean located at about 180°
longitude; to the east of this line, the calendar date is one day earlier
than to the west; it is on the opposite side of the Earth from the prime
meridian
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time zone: there are 24 different time zones around the world
Global Positioning System (GPS) – a device that can tell you exactly where you are on Earth