Download 06a -Test Geography Study Guide

GEOGRAPHY HANDBOOK (pages 101-111) – EXAM STUDY GUIDE
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1. Know where the equator is located.
2. Know the numbering system for the latitudes.
3. Maps are usually drawn so that North is at the top.
4. All meridians (longitude lines) are the same length.
5. Sections of a map pasted onto a sphere to form a map of the world are called gores.
6. A map legend is a key found on the map, usually in the lower corner, and explains what colors and symbols represent
on the map.
7. The Prime Meridian is an imaginary line from which east and west longitude can be measured.
8. Which way do longitudinal lines run on a globe?
9. A Mercator Projection map shows places on the Equator fairly accurately.
10. The Equator runs through Greenwich, England.
11: What are the Cardinal directions on a map?
12. The area of a map closest to the Equator will show the most distortion.
13. Map scale refers to the relationship between the size of the area on the map as compared to the size of the actual
area on the earth's surface it represents.
14. A grid system is a system of imaginary lines invented to help locate places on the earth's surface easier.
15. A flat map of the earth's surface is always distorted in some way.
16. A map is a representation of all or part of the earth's curved surface on a flat sheet of paper.
17. A map projection is a way of showing the round earth on flat paper.
18. A globe is a map made into a series of sections pasted onto a sphere
19. The "shortest lines" between two places on a globe are called latitude circles.
20. The latitude measurement for the North Pole in degrees.
21. The Five Themes of Geography: location, place, human/environmental interaction, movement, and regions.
22. Geographers study how people use the environment and how their actions affect the environment.
23. To create maps, cartographers project the round earth onto a flat surface— making a map projection.
24. The most accurate way to depict the earth is as a globe, a spherical scale model of the earth.
25. A globe gives a true picture of the continents’ relative sizes and the shapes of landmasses and bodies of water.
26. Sections of a map pasted onto a sphere to form a map of the world are called gores.
27. Globes are proportionately correct, accurately representing distance and direction.
28. A map is a flat drawing of all or part of the earth’s surface.
29. Unlike globes, maps can show small areas in great detail.
30. A globe is a map made into a series of sections pasted onto a sphere
31. When the curves of a globe become straight lines on a map, distortion of size, shape, distance, or area occurs.
32. A flat map of the earth's surface is always distorted in some way.
33. A map is a representation of all or part of the earth's curved surface on a flat sheet of paper.
34. A great circle is an imaginary line that follows the curve of the earthlike a line drawn along the Equator.
35. Traveling along a great circle is called following a great circle route. Airplane pilots use great circle
routes because they represent the shortest distances from one city to the next.
36. Technology has changed the way maps are made as most cartographers use software programs called
geographic information systems (GIS).
37. Four of the most popular map projections are named for the cartographers who developed them. These are the
Winkel Tripel, the Robinson, the Goode’s Interrupted Equal-Area and the Mercator projection.
38. Remember, all map projections have some degree of inaccuracy in distance, shape, or size because the
curved surface of the earth cannot be shown accurately on a flat map.
39. The four cardinal directions are — north, south, east, and west. Usually found at top of map.
40. Every map contains a map legend — a key that explains what the symbols stand for.
41. The Mercator projection, once the most commonly used projection, increasingly distorts size and distance as it
moves away from the Equator.
42. Relative location is the location of one place in relation to another place, while absolute location indicates the
exact position of a place on the earth’s surface.
43. The scale bar shows the relationship between map measurements and actual distance.
44. Lines of latitude (parallels) circle the earth parallel to the Equator and measure distance north or south of the Equator.
45. Lines of longitude, or meridians, circle the earth from Pole to Pole - starting line is called the Prime Meridian.
46. The Prime Meridian runs through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England.
47. Latitude and longitude—cross one another, forming a pattern called a grid system.
48. The grid system formed by lines of latitude and longitude makes it possible to find the absolute location of a place.
49. By using degrees and minutes (points between degrees), people can pinpoint the precise spot where one line of
latitude crosses one line of longitude—an absolute location.
50. Special-purpose maps show information on specific topics, such as climate, land use, or vegetation. Colors and
map key symbols are especially important on this type of map.
51. Physical maps show the location and the topography, or shape, of the earth’s physical features. They use colors or
patterns to indicate relief—the differences in elevation, or height, of landforms.
52. Political maps show the boundaries between countries. Smaller internal divisions, such as states or counties,
may also be indicated by different symbols. Political maps usually feature capitals and other cities.
53. A map projection is a way of showing the round earth on flat paper.
54. Most reference world maps use the Winkel Tripel projection because this projection provides a better balance
between the size and shape of land areas as they are shown on the map.
55. Cartographers, or mapmakers, use mathematical formulas to transfer information from the three dimensional
globe to a two-dimensional map.
56. Cylindrical projections are based on the projection of the globe onto a cylinder - accurate near the Equator.
57. Conic projections are made by placing a cone over part of the globe.