Geography
Vocabulary
Latitude
• Latitude:
Distance
north or
south of the
Equator
measured in
degrees.
Longitude
• Longitude:
Distance east or
west of the
Prime Meridian
measured in
degrees.
• Equator:
Imaginary line that
runs around the
earth halfway
between the North
and South Poles;
used as the starting
point to measure
degrees of north and
south latitude.
Equator
Prime Meridian
• Prime Meridian: The
line of the global grid
running from the North
Pole to the South Pole
through Greenwich
England; starting point
for measuring degrees
of east and west
longitude.
Meridian
• Meridian: One of
many lines on the
global grid running
from the North to the
South Pole; used to
measure degrees of
longitude.
Parallel
• Parallel: One of
the many lines on
the global grid that
circle the earth
north or south of
the Equator ; used to
measure degrees of
latitude.
Absolute Location
• Absolute
Location: The
exact location of
a place on the
earth described
by global
coordinates.
Compass Rose
• Compass Rose: A
device printed on a
map or chart
showing the points
of the compass
measured from true
magnetic north .
Degree
• Degree: The
measurement
used to find
absolute
location. Each
degree is 1/360th
of the distance
around the earth.
Physical Feature
• Physical Feature:
Characteristic of a
place occurring
naturally such as a
landform, body of
water, climate
pattern, or a
resource.
Cultural Feature
• Cultural Feature: A
characteristic that
humans have created in
a place such as
language, religion,
housing, or a settlement
pattern.
Elevation
• Elevation:
The height
of land
above sea
level.
Harbor
• HARBOR: A
sheltered
place along a
shoreline
where ships
can anchor
safely.
Strait
• Strait: A
narrow stretch
of water
joining two
larger bodies
of water.
Atoll
• Atoll: An atoll
is broadly
defined as ringshaped type of
coral reef that
surround a
central lagoon.
Channel
• Channel: Wide
strait or
waterway
between two
land masses that
lie close to each
other (deep part
of a river or
other waterway).
Peninsula
• Peninsula: Body
of land jutting
into a lake or
ocean,
surrounded on
three sides by
water.
• Gulf: Part of a
large body of
water that
extends into a
shoreline,
generally larger
and more deeply
indented than a
bay.
Gulf
Plain (Prairie)
• Plain: A flat area of land usually at a low
elevation and often covered with grasses.
Plateau
• Plateau: A land
area that has a
flat surface
raised above
adjoining land
on at least one
side, and often
cut by deep
canyons.
Topography
• Topography:
A detailed
mapping or
charting of the
features of a
region’s
surface
configuration.
Climate
• Climate: The
generally prevailing
weather conditions
of a region such as
temperature or
precipitation
averaged over a
series of years.
Con tig you what ?!?
• Contiguous States: States that
touch along the side, boundary, or
come in contact with another U. S.
state.
• Noncontiguous States: States that
DO NOT touch along the side,
boundary, or come in contact with
any other U.S. state.