Township and Range System in the U.S.
Fig. 1-4: Principal meridians and east-west baselines of the township system. Townships in northwest Mississippi and topographic map of the area.
Layers of a GIS
Fig. 1-5: A geographic information system (GIS) stores information about a location in several layers. Each layer represents a different category of information.
Place NamesToponym is the given name of a place
Types of ToponymsFor a personReligionLandscape/physical features
Names can changeCincinnati, OHTruth or Consequence
SitePhysical character of a place
Climate, water sources, topography, soil, vegetation, latitude, and elevation
Site factors have been essential in selecting locations for settlements
Humans can modify the characteristics of a site
Site: Lower Manhattan Island
Fig. 1-6: Site of lower Manhattan Island, New York City. There have been many changes to the area over the last 200 years.
SituationThe location of a place relative to other
places
Can help us find unfamiliar places
Helps us understand the importance of a location
Mathematical LocationLatitude (N/S)
ParallelsEquator
Longitude (E/W)MeridiansPrime Meridian runs through Greenwich,
England
Which is important in calculating time??
World Geographic Grid
Fig. 1-8: The world geographic grid consists of meridians of longitude and parallels of latitude. The prime meridian (0º) passes through Greenwich, England.
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