Geography

Vocabulary

Latitude• Latitude:

Distance north or south of the Equator measured in degrees.

Longitude• Longitude:

Distance east or west of the Prime Meridian measured in degrees.

Equator• Equator: Imaginary line that runs around the earth halfway between the North and South Poles; used as the starting point to measure degrees of north and south latitude.

Prime Meridian• Prime Meridian:

The line of the global grid running from the North Pole to the South Pole through Greenwich England; starting point for measuring degrees of east and west longitude.

Meridian• Meridian: One of

many lines on the global grid running from the North to the South Pole; used to measure degrees of longitude.

Parallel• Parallel: One of

the many lines on the global grid that circle the earth north or south of the Equator ; used to measure degrees of latitude.

Absolute Location• Absolute

Location: The exact location of a place on the earth described by global coordinates.

Compass Rose• Compass Rose:

A device printed on a map or chart showing the points of the compass measured from true magnetic north .

Degree• Degree: The

measurement used to find absolute location. Each degree is 1/360th of the distance around the earth.

Physical Feature• Physical

Feature: Characteristic of a place occurring naturally such as a landform, body of water, climate pattern, or a resource.

Cultural Feature• Cultural Feature: A

characteristic that humans have created in a place such as language, religion, housing, or a settlement pattern.

Elevation• Elevation: The height of land above sea level.

Harbor• HARBOR: A

sheltered place along a shoreline where ships can anchor safely.

Strait• Strait: A

narrow stretch of water joining two larger bodies of water.

Atoll• Atoll: An atoll

is broadly defined as ring-shaped type of coral reef that surround a central lagoon.

Channel• Channel: Wide

strait or waterway between two land masses that lie close to each other (deep part of a river or other waterway).

Peninsula• Peninsula:

Body of land jutting into a lake or ocean, surrounded on three sides by water.

Gulf• Gulf: Part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline, generally larger and more deeply indented than a bay.

Plain (Prairie)• Plain: A flat area of land usually at a

low elevation and often covered with grasses.

Plateau• Plateau: A

land area that has a flat surface raised above adjoining land on at least one side, and often cut by deep canyons.

Topography• Topography:

A detailed mapping or charting of the features of a region’s surface configuration.

Climate• Climate: The

generally prevailing weather conditions of a region such as temperature or precipitation averaged over a series of years.

Con tig you what ?!?• Contiguous States: States that

touch along the side, boundary, or come in contact with another U. S. state.

• Noncontiguous States: States that DO NOT touch along the side, boundary, or come in contact with any other U.S. state.