Key (Legend)
• The section of a map that explains the symbols
and colors on the map.
Mountains –
Lake –
Compass Rose
A diagram of a compass showing cardinal
and intermediate directions
Cardinal Directions
• The directions north, south, east, and
west. Describes a Relative Location
W
E
S
Intermediate Directions
• The directions northwest, northeast, southwest,
and southeast. Describes a Relative Location
NW
NE
SW
SE
Absolute (exact) Location
Latitude and Longitude
Latitude and Longitude: A Grid System
First: Divide the Earth in Half
Hemisphere = A half of the Earth.
N
S
W
E
Latitude
•Runs east and west around the globe and tell you your distance north
or south of the Equator measured in degrees
Think of latitude like the rungs of a ladder (ladder sounds a lot like latitude).
Latitude lines run east and west, but they tell how far up (north) you can go or
how far down (south) you can go. Shows an Absolute Location
Parallel is another name for a line of latitude.
Is this a good synonym? Why?
Major Lines of Latitude
66°N Arctic Circle
23°N Tropic of Cancer
0° Equator
23°S Tropic of Capricorn
66°S Antarctic Circle
Longitude
•Measure your distance east or west from the
Prime Meridian.
•When you think of longitude, think of long, tall telephone poles
(because longitude lines run from pole to pole).
•Longitude lines run north and south, but they tell how far east you can
go or how far west you can go. Shows an Absolute Location.
•Meridian is another name fore a line of longitude.
Major Line of
Longitude
0°
Prime
Meridian
66°N Arctic Circle
0°
23°N Tropic of Cancer
Prime
0° Equator
66°S Antarctic Circle
Meridian
23°S Tropic of Capricorn
ALWAYS Read Latitude 1st and
Longitude 2nd
•Which letter is located at 50 degrees north and 120 degrees east?
•An airplane crashes at 40 degrees north and 60 degrees east.
What letter would you travel to to hunt for survivors?
•What continent would you be on at 10 degrees south and 70 degrees west?
Use your Atlas pp. 8-9 to find the
cities located at:
•
•
•
•
•
•
60° N / 150° W
23 ° N / 90 ° E
30 ° N / 30 ° E
22 ° S / 43 ° W
35 ° S / 60 ° W
44 ° N / 91 ° W
Anchorage, Alaska
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Cairo, Egypt
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
44° 48' 41" N / 91° 29' 53" W
Latitude and Longitude Resources
• Latitude & Longitude Activity
• A Printable Latitude & Longitude
Map of the World
• Latitude & Longitude Map Making
• Latitude and Longitude Quiz