Basic Geography
by
S. Beaupre, C. Cawley and J. Swift
Question:
What in the world is Geography?
Answer:
Geography is the science that explains why you – yes you sitting in this
class – are where you are. It asks and answers some of humankind’s
most basic questions:
Where am I? What’s over there? How did it get there?
What is it like? Why is it there?
Geography is the big mixing bowl of the sciences: it brings together all
sorts of other specialties. If you combine a little history, geology,
meteorology, biology, economics, astronomy, and almost every other
“ology,” “onomy,” or “omics” you can think of, you’ll begin to see what
geographers do. They study how we shape – and are shaped by – the
shape of the world.
Geography
Sept.
Geography is the science that explains
why you are where you are.
It asks the questions:
Where am I?
What’s over there?
How did it get there?
What is it like?
Why is it there?
Question:
How many oceans
are there?
a. one
b. fifty-three
c. four
d. seven
Answer:
If you said “one”
you’re correct!
But if you said
“four” you’re also
correct.
If you look at a
globe, you’ll see
that all the world’s
oceans are
connected – they’re
part of same huge
body of water.
But to make our
lives easier, four
large sections have
been given four
different names.
What are they?
Answer:
* Arctic Ocean
* Atlantic Ocean
* Indian Ocean
* Pacific Ocean
Question:
Who am I?
1. I’m the largest
of the oceans –
in fact, I cover
more area than
all Earth’s land
put together! I’m
also the deepest
ocean. I have
lots of small
islands, many of
them volcanic.
Question:
Who am I?
2. I’m the world’s
second-largest
ocean. Much of
the world’s
shipping happens
on me because I
sit between
Europe and
Africa on one
side and the
Americas on the
other. Most of
the world’s fish
are caught in my
waters. I’m less
salty because
many big rivers
empty into me.
Question:
Who am I?
3. I’m the thirdlargest ocean.
Nearly all of me
lies south of the
equator. Many
island nations are
found among my
waters.
Question:
Who am I?
4. I’m the smallest
and shallowest
ocean. I’m at
the top of the
world, and most
of me is frozen
all year round.
Answer:
1.Pacific Ocean
2.Atlantic Ocean
3.Indian Ocean
4.Arctic Ocean
Question:
Who owns the oceans?
Answer:
Countries that touch the ocean have total
control of the waters for 19 km off their
own shores.
They have economic control (such as fishing
and oil exploration rights) out to 322 km.
Past that, it’s no man’s land.
Why does it matter who owns the oceans?
Because there are oil deposits and lot’s of
valuable minerals under them, and everyone
wants to know whose they are.
Geography
Sept.
There are 4 oceans:
Pacific - largest
- deepest
- many small volcanic islands
Atlantic – second largest
- least salty
- most fishing
- most shipping lanes
Indian
- third largest
- south of the equator
- many islands
Arctic
– smallest
- shallowest
- mostly frozen
Question:
What is a Continent?
Answer:
A continent is simply one of the main landmasses
planet.
(areas of land)
on the
Question:
How many continents are there?
Answer:
There are seven continents.
What are they?
Basic Geo handout 1
Pencil crayons
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/fossils/geol/globe.htm
Continents:
* Africa
* North America
* South America
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Australia
* Europe
Continents:
* Africa
* North America
* South America
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Australia
* Europe
Continents:
* Africa
* North America
* South America
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Australia
* Europe
Continents:
* Africa
* North America
* South America
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Australia
* Europe
Continents:
* Africa
* North America
* South America
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Australia
* Europe
Continents:
* Africa
* North America
* South America
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Australia
* Europe
Continents:
* Africa
* North America
* South America
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Australia
* Europe
Continents:
* Africa
* North America
* South America
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Australia
* Europe
Geography
Sept.
Continents are the main land masses of
our planet.
There are 7 continents:
•Africa
• North America
• South America
• Antarctica
• Asia
• Australia
• Europe
Continents:
* Africa
* North America
* South America
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Australia
* Europe
Geography
Sept.
Continents are the main land masses of
our planet.
There are 7 continents:
•Africa
• North America
• South America
• Antarctica
• Asia
• Australia
• Europe
Continent verses Country
South American Countries:
Argentina Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
How many countries can you
name?
• Need
some help?
• Perhaps
some
Watch this…..
friendlywhat
competition
• Guess
Just
kidding…..had
you
to encourage
you?
today’s
Watch
this….
worried
there, didn’t I?
homework
is…..
http:/ca.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ9alkKF3NE
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=r43yCiKlbCo
Earth’s Hemispheres
Imaginary Halves
• The earth is broken into halves
vertically and horizontally. The
imaginary lines are used by people to
divide the earth into different sections,
called hemispheres. Hemi- means "half"
and sphere means "globe."
• Just like with compass directions, these
sections help to describe where you are
on the earth.
Basic Geo Handout 2
Geography
Date.
Hemispheres
The Earth is divided into imaginary
halves.
Hemi = half
sphere = globe
Northern
Southern
Western Eastern
E
Hemispheres in Math
• Think of a Cartesian
Plane in Math but,
instead of using
negative and positive
numbers, we use
degrees and the 4
cardinal points
Latitude and Longitude
Where we are in the world.
Latitude
• Latitude lines are imaginary lines on the
earth's surface. They run east and west
around the globe and tell you your distance
north or south of the Equator.
• Latitude lines run east and west, but they tell
how far up (north) you can go or how far down
(south) you can go.
• Latitude lines are parallels, which means they
are always the same distance apart and never
meet.
Think of latitude like the rungs of a ladder
(ladder sounds a lot like latitude).
The First Latitude Line
• The first latitude line was the Equator
(equally distant between the north and south
poles). It is the longest of all latitude lines
because it is at the widest part of the globe.
(40,075.16 kilometers long)
• All other latitude lines are measured in
degrees north or south of the Equator. There
are a maximum of 90 degrees of latitude to
the north or the south of the Equator.
Longitude
• Longitude lines are imaginary lines on the
earth's surface that run from pole to pole
around the globe and tell you your distance
east or west from the Prime Meridian.
• Longitude lines run north and south, but they
tell how far east you can go or how far west
you can go.
• Longitude lines are widest at the equator (111 km
apart) and get closer together as they move toward
the poles where they meet (nil km).
When you think of
longitude, think of long, tall
telephone poles (because
longitude lines run from
pole to pole).
Prime Meridian
• The first longitude line
was the Prime Meridian.
Any meridian could have
been chosen as the Prime
Meridian because they are
all exactly the same.
• All other longitude lines
are measured in degrees
east or west of the Prime
Meridian.
• There are a maximum of
180 degrees on longitude
to the east or the west of
the Prime Meridian.
The Prime Meridian was
selected by international
agreement at the International
Meridian Conference called by
President Chester Arthur in
October of 1884.
Representatives from 25
nations met in Washington, D.C.
• The Prime Meridian, runs
through Greenwich, England.
• While there aren't any actual
lines painted on the earth, the
town of Greenwich has a
special feature.
• Someone painted a line at the
location of the Prime Meridian.
See! These kids are standing in
the Eastern and Western
Hemispheres at the same time!
Geography
Date.
Hemispheres
The Earth is divided into imaginary
halves.
Hemi = half
sphere = globe
Northern
Equator 0º
Southern
Latitude lines
Greenwich, England 0º
Prime Meridian
Western
Eastern
E
Longitude lines
(Draw a ladder and some poles on your
images or some latitude/longitude lines)
Measuring Latitude and
Longitude
Why do we use degrees?
• Think about Math for a moment. What
geometric shape is our planet?
• In the field of mathematics, circles are
measured in degrees.
• There are 360 degrees in a circle. Since the
earth is basically circular, it was decided to
measure latitude and longitude in degrees
also.
• At the Equator, there are
approximately 111 km
between two longitude
(meridian) lines.
• For more accuracy in
location, degrees can be
divided into smaller parts.
• One degree can be divided
into 60 minutes (') and one
minute can be divided into
60 seconds (").
• We won’t use (') (") for
this course, only degrees.
Important Latitude Lines
• Three of the most significant imaginary
lines running across the surface of the
earth are the Equator, the Tropic of
Cancer, and the Tropic of Capricorn.
• Tropic of Cancer is located at 23.5°
North of the equator.
• The Tropic of Capricorn lies at 23.5°
South of the equator.
(6 minutes)
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=taHTA7S_JGk
Geography
Date
Latitude/Longitude Cont...
3 Important Latitudes:
Tropic of
Cancer
23.5º
Equator Oº
23.5º
Tropic of
Capricorn
Quick Write
Look at this image:
•
Can you explain
why the warmest
temperatures of
our planet are
found between the
Tropic of Cancer
and the Tropic of
Capricorn?
Geography
Date
Latitude/Longitude Cont...
3 Important Latitudes:
Tropic of
Cancer
23.5º
Equator Oº
23.5º
Tropic of
Capricorn
The tropics is where the most direct
sunlight reaches our planet. The seasons
are warmer.
• Most deserts lie near the tropic of
Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.
• The area between these two lines is
called the Torrid Zone.
• “Torrid” = very hot
Writing Latitude/Longitude
• Latitude is usually the first degree given
along with N or S to indicate the hemisphere.
• Longitude is usually the second degree given
along with W or E
• Montreal is found at latitude: 45° 30' N
(North of Equator) and longitude: 73° 35' W
(West of Greenwich, England)
• It reads as: “Montreal is forty-five degrees
thirty minutes north and seventy-three
degrees thirty-five minutes west.”
• For this course you would write:
45° N, 73° W
Geography
Date
Writing Lat & Long
Latitude is written first, then
longitude.
Example: Montreal is 45° N, 73° W
Using Latitude and Longitude
Intersections
• Using latitude and
longitude lines is
just like thinking
about the
intersection of two
streets.
• The Promenade Mall
is found at the
intersection of
Highway 116 and
Highway 30.
Highway
116
Promenade
Highway
30
To find a latitude line such as 60 degrees north
latitude, you must do three things:
1. Go to your starting line,
the Equator.
2. Determine which
direction you must go
(north or south).
3. Determine the
distance in degrees
you must go (60).
Geography
Date
Writing Lat & Long
Latitude is written first, then
longitude.
Example: Montreal is 45° N, 73° W
Using Lat & Long
To find a latitude point:
1. Start at the equator
2. Determine the direction (N or S)
3. Go to the degree indicated (hold
the spot with one finger)
To find a longitude line such as 40 degrees east
longitude, you must do three things:
1. Go to your starting
line the Prime
Meridian.
2. Determine which
direction you must go
(east or west).
3. Determine the
distance in degrees you
must go (40).
Geography
Writing Lat & Long
Date
Latitude is written first, then
longitude.
Example: Montreal is 45° N, 73° W
Using Lat & Long
To find a latitude point:
1. Start at the equator
2. Determine the direction (N or S)
3. Go to the degree indicated (hold
the spot with one finger)
To find a longitude point:
1. Start at the prime meridian
2. Determine the direction (W or E)
3. Go to the degree indicated
• The intersection of the two points gives you the exact
location of a particular place on the earth’s surface.
• This is called the absolute location.
Geography
Writing Lat & Long
Date
Latitude is written first, then
longitude.
Example: Montreal is 45° N, 73° W
Using Lat & Long
To find a latitude point:
1. Start at the equator
2. Determine the direction (N or S)
3. Go to the degree indicated (hold
the spot with one finger)
To find a longitude point:
1. Start at the prime meridian
2. Determine the direction (W or E)
3. Go to the degree indicated
The intersection of the two points is
called an absolute location
Let’s Try It!
Basic Geo Handout 3
Which letter is the closest?
Write the answer on your
sheet.
1. 20º South, 20º East
2. 20º South, 100º East
3. 20º North, 40º East
4. 60º South, 40º West
5. 10º South, 40º West
6. 0º, 140º West
7. 40º North, 100º West
8. 80º North, 0º
9. 40º North, 60º East
10. 50º North, 120º East
Check your answers.
1. F
6. C
2. A
7. G
3. H
8. B
4. D
9. E
5. J
10. I
The End
Geography
Date