Chapter 1 Key Issue 1 – PART A
How Do Geographers Describe Where Things Are?
Rubenstein, pp. 4-11
1. Define Geography:
2. How is the study of geography different from the study of history?
● MAPS
2. What questions do human geographers ask?
3. Define map:
4. Define cartography:
5. What are the TWO purposes of maps?
*skip “Early Mapmaking”*
6. Define map scale:
7. Complete the table below.
Map scale is presented
in three ways:
Write or draw an example of each type of scale
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8. What is the advantage of a map which shows only a small portion of the earth’s surface – like a
downtown - that is, a large-scale map?
9. What advantage does a map which shows the entire globe, a small-scale map, have?
10. When geographers convert the round earth to a flat map, they use a projection. All projections have
some distortion (only a globe has none). Describe the four things that typically become distorted in
various projections.
a.
c.
b.
d.
11. What is an interruption?
12. Two important projections are the Mercator and the Robinson. Complete the table below to
compare their advantages and disadvantages.
MERCATOR
Disadvantages
Advantages
ROBINSON
13. What is the difference between meridian and longitude?
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14. What is the difference between parallel and latitude?
15. What place is designated as 0 degrees longitude?
16. What is the name for each of the following:
a. 0 degrees longitude?
c. 90 degrees North Latitude?
b. 0 degrees latitude?
d. 90 degrees South Latitude?
17. How is a degree of longitude or latitude further subdivided? Give an example.
18. How many degrees of longitude do you need to travel across to pass through one “hour” of time (or
one time zone)?
19. How many time zones are there?
20. Use the map on page 11 to annotate the map below.


Draw the Prime Meridian and International Date Line.
Label the country which has forced the 3000 mile deviation of the International Date Line.
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