Geography
Latitude and Longitude
●​ Latitude: Measures the distance North or South of the Equator.
○​ Lines run horizontally.
○​ The Equator is at 0°.
●​ Longitude: Measures the distance East or West of the Prime Meridian.
○​ Lines run vertically.
Equator
●​ Rainfall: High rainfall due to rising air, which creates a low-pressure zone.
●​ Temperature: High average temperatures throughout the year. Small
temperature range due to consistent solar radiation.
Altitude
●​ Temperature decreases with increasing altitude. This is due to the air being
less dense and therefore less able to retain heat.
Ocean Currents
●​ Ocean currents significantly affect the temperature and rainfall of coastal
areas.
●​ Warm Currents: Bring warmer temperatures and increased rainfall to adjacent
landmasses.
●​ Cold Currents: Bring cooler temperatures and decreased rainfall to adjacent
landmasses.
●​ Indian Ocean: The Agulhas Current is a warm current.
●​ Atlantic Ocean: The Benguela Current is a cold current.
Temperature
●​ Factors Affecting Temperature:
○​ Latitude: Closer to the equator generally means higher temperatures.
○​ Altitude: Higher altitudes have lower temperatures.
○​ Ocean Currents: Warm currents increase temperature; cold currents
decrease temperature.
○​ Distance from the Sea: Coastal areas have more moderate
temperatures than inland areas.
●​
Temperature Range: The difference between the highest and lowest temperatures
recorded for a location over a specific period. Calculated as:
Temperature Range=Highest Temperature−Lowest Temperature
Temperature Range=Highest Temperature−Lowest Temperature
Example: If the highest temperature in a city during July is 30
∘
∘
C and the lowest is 20
∘
∘
C, the temperature range for July is 10
∘
∘
C.
Solstice
●​ Summer Solstice (June): The day with the longest period of daylight.
●​ Winter Solstice (December): The day with the shortest period of daylight.
Ratio Scales
●​
Ratio scales are used on maps to represent real-world distances. They express the
relationship between a distance on the map and the corresponding distance on the
ground. For example, a scale of 1:50,000 means that 1 unit of measurement on the
map represents 50,000 of the same units on the ground.
Example: On a map with a scale of 1:100,000, 1 cm on the map represents 100,000
cm (or 1 km) on the ground.
Indian Ocean
●​ Countries that border the Indian Ocean include South Africa, India, Australia,
Madagascar, Somalia, Indonesia, and many others.
South Africa (Eastern Side)
●​ Building on the eastern side of South Africa poses certain dangers due to the
strong Agulhas Current, which leads to:
○​ Coastal Erosion: The strong current can erode the coastline.
○​ Flooding: Increased risk of flooding during storms and high tides.
○​ Strong Currents: Dangerous swimming conditions.