World Geography: Tools of Geography
GIS
Geographic Information System
GPS
Global Positioning System
HEI
Human/Environmental/Interaction: includes activities such as growing corn, skiing in Vail, mining, deforestation
Five Themes of Geography
Lucy, Please Help Me Read! Location, Place, Human/ Environmental/Interaction, Movement, Region
atlas
a collection of maps, graphs, charts, in book form usually
map
a diagrammatic 2 D representation of the earth's surface (or part of it)
political map
a map showing units such as countries, states, provinces, districts, etc. Each is normally a different color
cartographer
a person who makes maps
compass rose
aA tool on a map showing cardinal (N,E,S,W) and intermediate (NE,SE,NW,SW) directions.
Location
absolute location -- latitude and latitude, GPS
Interrupted Map Projection
accurate areas and shapes of continents but oceans have pie shaped wedges to adjust for distance
Robinson Map Projection
accurate size and shape of continents -- good for classroom use
thematic map
all thematic maps must have a key: shows climate, vegetation, natural resources, population density, economic activity, historical trends, movement, etc...
equator
an imaginary line around the Earth forming the great circle that is equidistant from the north and south poles
Tropic of Cancer
an imaginary line that lies 23.5 degrees north of the equator
Tropic of Capricorn
an imaginary line that lies 23.5 degrees south of the equator
Place
characteristics of a location -- physical -- climate, fauna, flora and can be human as well
uses for maps
driving: road maps, location: political maps, traveling: political or physical maps, researching: thematic maps, building: topographic maps
branches of geography
human and physical
map legend
lists and explains the symbols and colors used on a map
map projections
look for area, direction, distance, shape
map perspective
looking at a map with a different point of view
Prime Meridian
meridian at zero degree longitude from which east and west are reckoned (usually the Greenwich longitude in England)
reading coordinates
remember to read latitude first and longitude second
Mercator Map Projection
sailors choice for 'true direction', A chart that represents the meridians and parallels of latitude as straight lines.
physical map
shows types of landforms and bodies of water found in the area -shows the earth's natural features (i.e. elevation and vegetation)
geography
study of the physical, biological and cultural features of the earth's surface
Arctic Circle
the line of latitude that is 66 1/2 degrees north of the Equator.
Antarctic Circle
the line of latitude that is 66 1/2 degrees south of the Equator.
longitude
the numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on a globe and measuring distance east and west of the prime meridian (0° - 180), the y axis, 'long lines'
map scale
the part of a map that gives a comparison of distance on the map itself with distance in the real world
latitude
the position north or south of the equator measured from 0° to 90°, the x axis, 'lat is flat'
key
the section of a map that explains the symbols for the map features
projection
the system used to transfer locations from earth's surface to a flat map
Region
there are three types: Formal -- defined by government or administrative boundaries, Functional -- areas defined by function, Perceptual -- loosely defined by people's perceptions
TOADLS
title, orientation (compass rose), author, date, legend, scale
Movement
trading, migration, buying, urban sprawl
Polar or flat plane Map Projection
used for mapping hemispheres, accurate distance and direction but has distorted edges Polar view is called 'azimuth' and airline pilots use these maps for polar flight
Conical Map Projection
used for mapping large section of Earth surface -- cone shaped
