Map, globe, political map, physical map, special
purpose map, map key, scale bar, compass rose,
longitude, latitude, Equator, Prime Meridian,
hemisphere, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn,
absolute location, climate, weather, source (of a river),
delta, atmosphere, elevation, greenhouse effect,
peninsula, island, valley, plain, plateau, aquifer
Terms for Map Booklet
1. Latitude –imaginary lines that circle the earth that
measures the distance north and south of the
Equator(parallels)
2. Equator- the imaginary line that runs around the earth at
0 latitude
3. Longitude- imaginary lines called meridians that circle the
earth pole to pole
4. Prime Meridian – the imaginary line that runs along the
earth 0 degrees longitude
5. Hemisphere – 2 parts of the earth that are separated by
either the Equator (Northern and Southern hemispheres)
or the Prime Meridian (Eastern and Western
hemispheres)
6. Tropic of Cancer – imaginary line at 23 ½ N latitude;
northern boundary of the Tropics
7. Tropic of Capricorn – imaginary line at 23 ½ S latitude;
southern boundary of the Tropics
8. Absolute location – the exact location of a place on earth
where one line of latitude crosses over one line of
longitude
9. Map – flat projection of earth’s surface
10. Globe – a round projection of earth
11. Political map – a map that identifies the boundaries
of countries, states, and cities
12. Physical map – identifies the landforms and water
features of an area
13. Special purpose map – a map that is made to show
specific kinds of information in detail about the present
climate, natural resources, rainfall, etc. of an area
14. Compass rose – the symbol on a map that tells where
the Cardinal directions (North, East, South, and West) are
15. Scale bar – lines that show how to measure distance
on a map
16. Map key – area of a map that shows what the lines,
colors, and symbols on a map mean (if the map key
doesn’t tell what the colors mean, then the colors don’t
mean anything)
17. Weather – temporary, unpredictable changes in the
atmosphere (rain, cold, etc.)
18. Climate – long-term patterns of weather for an area
19. Source – point at which a river begins (usually in a
mountain, highland, or aquifer)
20. Delta – soil that builds up around the mouth of a river
(where it empties into a larger body of water)
21. Atmosphere – a layer of air and gases that surround
the earth
22. Elevation – an area’s height above sea level
23. Greenhouse effect – the slow warming of the earth
caused by the earth’s atmosphere trapping warmth from
the sun; one of the reasons earth is inhabitable
24. Peninsula – land surrounded on 3 sides by water (like
Florida)
25. Island – land surrounded on ALL sides by water
26. Valley – a low-lying area located in between 2
mountains or large hills
27. Plain – a flat, low-lying area
28. Plateau – a flat, raised area
29. Aquifer – water trapped between layers of rock
underground
30. Gulf – a body of water larger than a bay, but smaller
than an ocean