Map Skills Notes

Compass Rose: is a figure on a map or nautical chart used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions,

Cardinal Directions: North South East and West

Ordinal Directions: Northwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest

Legend: a key to all the symbols used on a map

Scale: used to measure the distance between two places on a map

Longitude: Imaginary lines on a map that run parallel to the Prime Meridian. “Long I”. These lines help us find absolute location.

Latitude: Imaginary lines on a map that run parallel to the equator, “latitude=flatitude”.

Absolute Location: locates a place using a coordinate system of longitude and latitude. Or an exact address. The White House’s address is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in DC.

Relative Location: means to locate a place relative to other landmarks, ex. The White House is 10 blocks west of the Capitol and 5 blocks north of the Washington Monument.

Hemisphere: literally means 'half sphere'

Equator: Imaginary line that divides the earth into the Northern and Southern hemisphere. 0° Latitude.

Prime Meridian: Imaginary Line that divides the earth into Eastern and Western Hemisphere. 0° Longitude. It passes through Greenwich England. Tropic of Capricorn: a line of latitude about 23 degrees to the south of the equator. Tropic of Cancer: a line of latitude about 23 degrees to the north of the equator.

Parallels: lines that run parallel to the equator, represent latitude Meridians: lines that run parallel to the Prime Meridian (longitude)

Continents: Seven Continents Poem

To name the seven continents, think of the letter a, and when you're down to only one an "e" will save the day! There is Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Asia, too. The oceans run between us, with waters deep and blue. There is also two America's, North and South you see, and now you're coming to the end, Europe starts with "E!"

Oceans: large body of salt water. Indian Pacific Atlantic Arctic. Covers about 70% of the earths surface.