Name
Hour
Chapter One: The Tools of Geography Study Guide
Essential Question: How do geographers show information on maps?
Geography Terms
absolute location is the precise point where a place is located on Earth.
distortion is the change in the shape, size, or position of a place when it is shown on a map.
map projection is a way of representing the spherical Earth on a flat surface.
relative location is where a place is located in relation to another place.
Map Titles and Symbols
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A map title usually describes the area shown on the map. It also identifies the map’s main
topic.
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A compass rose shows directions on a map. Four of these directions are called cardinal
directions. These directions are north, south, east, and west. A more complicated compass
rose has lines between the cardinal points. These points are called intermediate directions.
They are northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest.
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A legend identifies symbols on a map. Sometimes they are called the map key. The map
legend lists each symbol and explains what it shows on the map.
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A map grid organizes space on a map. Mapmakers often use a system of imaginary lines to
divide up space on their maps. Geographers use a grid system of latitude and longitude called
a global grid.
The Global Grid: Longitude and Latitude
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Parallels of latitude are imaginary lines that run east and west around the globe. The
equator is the most important parallel of latitude. It circles Earth exactly midway between the
North and South poles.
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Meridians of longitude are imaginary lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole.
They are not parallel to each other, so the distance between them varies. The most important
of these north-south lines is the prime meridian.
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Latitude and Longitude mark absolute location.
Dealing with Distances: Map Scale
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A scale on a map tells you how the distances on the map compare to the actual distances on
Earth.
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A map can be large scale or small scale. A large-scale map gives a close-up view of a small area.
It shows a lot of details. Examples of large-scale maps are mall maps and neighborhood street
maps. A small-scale map shows a larger area, but with fewer details. Small-scale maps are
best for finding your way between cities, states, and larger areas.
Hemispheres, Continents, and Oceans
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A hemisphere is half a world. The equator divides Earth into two hemispheres. The northern
half is the Northern Hemisphere. The southern half is the Southern Hemisphere. The Western
Hemisphere lies west of the prime meridian. The Eastern Hemisphere is east of it.
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Continents and Oceans cover Earth. Geographers divide the oceans into four. They are the
Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic oceans. Geographers identify seven continents. From the
largest to the smallest they are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe,
and Australia.
Earth and the Sun

The Earth moves around the sun in a nearly circular path called an orbit. One round trip,
called a revolution, takes about 365 ¼ days. This is an Earth year.

As the Earth revolves around the sun, it spins like a giant tip on its axis. The axis is an
imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole through the center of Earth.
The spinning motion of Earth is called rotation. Earth makes one full rotation about every 24
hours. As Earth spins, it is daytime on the side face the sun. On the side facing away from the
sun, it is night.
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Earth’s tilt creates the seasons. Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle relative to the sun. Because of
this tilt, the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive different amounts of sunlight as Earth
moves around the sun. These differences create Earth’s seasons.
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During the north’s summer, this half of Earth is tilted toward the sun. At this time the
Northern Hemisphere receives more sunlight and enjoys long, hot days. Winter comes when
this hemisphere tilts away from the sun. Then the days are short and cool.
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Two lines of latitude mark the northernmost and southernmost points where the sun’s rays
ever beat straight down. The northern line is called The Tropic of Cancer. The southern line
is called the Tropic of Capricorn. The areas between these two lines and the equator are
known as tropical zones. Tropical zones receive a lot of sunshine. They are hot all year
round.
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Two other lines of latitude mark the points farthest north and south where the sun doesn’t
shine at all on one day each year. On that day, night lasts a full 24 hours. These lines are the
Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle. The areas between these circles and the North and
South poles are know as polar zones. These zones receive little direct sunlight and are cold
most of the year. Between the tropical and polar zones lie the temperate zones. Generally, in
these zones summers are warm and winters are cool.
Showing a Round World on a Flat Map
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All flat maps have distortion. The size or shape of landmasses may be distorted. The
distances between places may not be accurately shown.
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To deal with distortions, mapmakers use different map projections.
Robinson Projection: This is a very popular projection because it balances the distortions of size
and shape. In this way it gives a fairly accurate picture of the world.
Lambert Projection:
This is a circular map that shows size accurately at its center, but not
distance of shape. It is good for showing the areas around the North and
South Pole.
Mercator Projection: This shows directions between places accurately near the equator. But it
distorts the size of continents, especially near the North and South Poles.
This is called area distortion.
Eckert IV Projection:
This is an equal-area map. This projection shows the sizes of places
accurately, but the distort shape near the poles. This is called shape
distortion. This is often used to show the number of people in different
areas.
Goode’s Homolosine Projection:
This projection uses a trick to help us see how the continents
compare in size. It snips bits out of the ocean. This trick allows
the continents to stretch without distorting their shapes. But it
distorts the shape and size of the oceans.
Name
Hour
Chapter Two: Seeing the World Like a Geographer Study Guide
Essential Question: Why do geographers use a variety of maps to represent the world?
Geography Terms
climate is the pattern of weather over a long period of time.
economic activity is any action that relates to the making, buying, and selling of goods and services.
landform is any natural feature of Earth’s surface that has distinct shape. Landforms include major
features such as continents, plains, plateaus, and mountain ranges. They also include minor features
such as hills, valleys, canyons, and dunes.
physical features are any natural characteristic of Earth’s surface, such as landforms and bodies of
water.
population density is the average number of people who live in a unit of area, such as a square mile.
Population density measures how crowded an area is.
region is an area defined by one or more natural or cultural characteristics that set is apart from other
areas.
thematic map is a map that shows a particular theme, or topic.
vegetation is all the plants and trees in an area.
Mapping Earth’s Physical Features
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Common landforms found on Earth have distinctive shapes when viewed from above. A long,
narrow peninsula, for example, juts out from a continent into water.
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Bodies of water are physical features found on maps. Many kinds of water bodies appear on
the continents. For example, rivers flow down from mountains and make their way to the sea.
Lakes are entirely surrounded by land. Other water bodies are created where oceans and seas
meet the continents. A bay is partly enclosed by a wide, curving stretch of land. A strait is a
narrow channel that connects two larger bodies of water.
Earth’s Climates

To study climates, geographers divide Earth into climate zones. Each zone has a particular
pattern of temperature and precipitation-rain, snow, or other moisture.
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Location affects climate. One of the most important factors is latitude. Places in tropical
latitude, close to the equator, get the most direct rays from the sun all year. These areas have
hot weather year-round.
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Places at high latitudes, close to the North and South Poles, receive much less sunlight. As a
result, they are very cold.
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Another factor affecting climate is elevation, or altitude. Places at higher elevations have
colder climates than those lower down.
Earth’s Vegetation

Climate has a major effect on the kind of vegetation that grown in a place. Plants must adapt to
their environment. Other factors besides climate affect what plants grow in certain places.
Among them are elevation, amount of sunlight, and richness of the soil.
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Each vegetation zone has a certain mix of plants and trees that have adapted to the conditions
in that zone.
Earth’s Population Density

Population density is a measure of crowding. Some countries are very densely populated and
some are not. Some places like New York City have a population density of about 26,000
people per square mile. In contrast, Mongolia is an almost empty country, with fewer than 2
people per square mile.
Economic Activity: Land and Resources

Economic activity maps often show patterns of land use. Land use is the way people use the
land they live on to meet their needs.
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Economic activity also depends on a country’s natural resources. Things like oil, coal, natural
gas, trees, and fishing can change a country’s future for the good.
Organizing Earth’s Surface: Regions
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A region is an area with one or more features that set it apart from other areas.
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Geographers divide the world into seven major regions. These are as follows: Canada and the
United States, Latin America, Africa, Europe and Russia, Southwest and Central Asia,
Monsoon Asia, and Oceania and Antarctica.