What is geography?
Field of science dedicated to the study the earth: Landscapes Features Inhabitants Phenomena
What can a map tell us?
Political map Boundaries Locations
What can a map tell us?
Physical map landforms water
What can a map tell us?
Elevation map Relative to sea level
What can a map tell us?
Population map How many people live in a certain area
Population density measured per capita
What can a map tell us?
Climate map weather patterns
temperature
What can a map tell us?
Natural resource map Shows where
certain types of natural resources can be found
How do we read maps?
Compass Also known as cardinal directions
Instrument used to show directions
North, South East, West
How do we read maps?
Map key Also known as a legend
Uses symbols to identify locations of real things
How do we read maps?
Distance scale Used to help
calculate actual distance between locations on a small map
How do we read maps?
Map grid Usually numbers and letters that divide a map into small sections that are easy to find
How do we read maps?
Latitude Horizontal lines on a world map/globe
Also known as parallels
Run East/West across the world
Middle point called the equator
How do we read maps?
Longitude Vertical lines on a world map or globe
Also known as meridians
Run North/South around the world
Middle point called “prime meridian”
How do we read maps?
Hemispheres Equator runs
East/West and splits Earth into Northern and Southern hemispheres
Prime meridian runs North/South and divides Earth into Eastern and Western hemispheres
What are land-forms?
Natural features of the of the earth’s surface
What kind of land-forms are there?
Mountains High elevation Top known as a peak
Usually formed through tectonic activity
What kind of land-forms are there?
Valleys Depression between hills or mountains
Often caused by water erosion—river valleys
What kind of land-forms are there?
Plains Flat area Important for agriculture—usually fertile
What kind of land-forms are there?
Plateaus Flat terrain that is raised above surrounding area
Also known as high plain
Often formed by volcanic activity
What kind of land-forms are there?
Glaciers Dense ice Flow very slowly
Created the great plains
What kind of land-forms are there?
Hills Above surrounding terrain
Doesn’t have a high peak
What kind of land-forms are there?
Desert Arid climate Lacks vegetation and animal life
Not always sand dunes
What kind of land-forms are there?
Volcanoes Surface of Earth breaks open, allows lava, ash, and gas to escape
170 active in USA
What kind of land-forms are there?
Wetlands Saturated with water
Marshes, swamps, bogs
Lots of wildlife
What kind of land-forms are there?
Rivers Water flowing towards body of water
Many flood in wet seasons
What kind of land-forms are there?
Lakes Depression filled with water
Tectonics, landslides and ice dams, oxbows, craters, glacial activity
How is America divided up?
United States of America States Counties, parishes, boroughs (Not CT, RI)
Townships
American Regions
Annual Precipitation
Physical Economic Vegetation Natural Disasters
Northeast mountainsforestscoastline
fishingshippingtourism
thick forests Blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes
Southeast wetlandsgulf coast
fishingshippingoil
Cypress treesPalm trees
hurricanesfloods
Midwest plainsGreat Lakes
agriculture grasslands tornadoes
Southwest desertsGrand Canyon
oil cactus, succulents
some tornadoes
Western mountainstundrarainforest
fishingshippingtourismlumber
Palm treesthick forests
earthquakestsunamis
Top Related