Map Skills Flashcards
A model of earth
Globe
Half of a sphere. Earth’s hemispheres are formed by the equator and the prime meridian
Hemisphere
The starting point for measuring longitude
Prime meridian
An imaginary line that circles the globe halfway between the north and south poles
Equator
A symbol on a map that shows directions
Compass rose
One of the four main compass points- north, south, east, and west
Cardinal Directions
A direction that is between two cardinal directions- northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest
Intermediate directions
A line drawn on a map that shows the relationship between a unit of measurement on the map and the real distance on Earth
Map scale
A map that shows information such as borders,capitals, and important cities.
Political maps
A thing that stands for or represents something else.
Symbol
A map that shows geographic features of a place, such as mountains, valleys, and bodies of water.
Physical map
A map legend; the boxed list showing what the symbols on the map represent.
Map key
A collection of books or maps
Atlas
The distance above or below sea water
Elevation
A system of lines that cross each other to form a pattern of squares. On a map, grids are used to locate places.
Grid
A unit of measure. There are 360 degrees of latitude and longitude used to locate places on Earth.
Degrees
Lines that measure the distances east and west of the prime meridian.
Longitude
Lines that measure north and south of the equator
Latitude
Name the 2 hemispheres that North America is located in
Western Hemisphere and Northern hemisphere
How are political and physical maps similar? How are they different?
Similar: Both are maps that show some of the same features, such as borders, land, and water. Different: Political maps highlight political boundaries of counties, states, or nations and also show cities and state capitals. Physical maps highlight specific kinds of landforms and bodies of water.
