World Geography The Basics What is Geography A

World Geography The Basics

What is Geography? • A science that deals with the description, distribution, and interaction of the diverse physical, biological, and cultural features of the earth's surface

The Seven Continents • • North America South America Europe Asia Africa Australia Antarctica

Dividing the Earth • Hemispheres: – Northern Hemisphere • North of the Equator – Southern Hemisphere • South of the Equator – Western Hemisphere • West of the Prime Meridian – Eastern Hemisphere • East of the Prime Meridian

Dividing the Earth • The Key Dividing Lines – Equator and Meridian Line divide the world into its Hemispheres – The equator divides the world into two equal parts horizontally – The meridian line divides the world into two equal parts vertically • The origin of the meridian line is Greenwich, England

Using Atlas’ & Reading Basic Maps • What is an atlas? – a collection of maps often including illustrations, informative tables, or textual matter of all the countries in the world

Using Atlas’ & Reading Basic Maps • Legend: – Usually found at the bottom of a map – Uses symbols to express things such as population of a city, borders, lines of transportation, elevation, etc. • Scale: – Expresses the actual distance in relation to the real world

Using Atlas’ & Reading Basic Maps • How do I find it? – The Index: • Lists cities and countries found in the atlas • Provides: – page numbers in the atlas where you will find a map of that specific place – which quadrant it can be found in on the map – its points of longitude and latitude

Using Atlas’ & Reading Basic Maps • How do I find it? – Longitude and Latitude: • Vertical and horizontal lines that indicate points on the earth’s surface

Using Atlas’ & Reading Basic Maps • How do I find it? – Quadrants: • indicated with letters and numbers in the margins of a map • helps you locate places based on instructions from the index • Helpful Hint: Think of the game Battleship