Chapter One- Geography Tools and Concepts
Section One
Geography: the study of Earth’s surface and the processes that shape it, the
connections between places, and the relationships between people and their
environment (pg. 10)
Latitude: the series of imaginary lines, also called parallels, that circle Earth
parallel to the Equator; used to measure a distance north or south of the Equator
in degrees (pg. 11)
Parallel: in geography, any of the imaginary lines that circle Earth parallel to the
Equator; a latitude line (pg. 11)
Degree: a unit of measure used to determine absolute location; on globes and
maps, latitude and longitude are measured in degrees (pg. 11)
Equator: an imaginary line that circles the globe at its widest point (halfway
between the North and South poles), dividing Earth into two halves called
hemispheres; used as a reference point from which north and south latitudes are
measured (pg. 11)
Longitude: the series of imaginary lines, also called meridians, that run north and
south from one pole to the other; used to measure a distance east or west of the
Prime Meridian in degrees (pg. 11)
Meridian: an imaginary line that circles the globe from north south and runs
through both the North and South poles; the lines of longitude on maps and
globes are meridians (pg. 11)
Prime Meridian: an imaginary line of longitude, or meridian, that runs from the
North Pole to the South Pole through Greenwich, England; it is designated 0o
longitude and is used as a reference point from which east and west lines of
longitude are measured (pg. 11)
Plain: a large area of flat or gently rolling land usually without many trees (pg. 13)
Section Two
Globe: a round model of Earth that shows the continents and oceans in their true
shapes (pg. 15)
Scale: the size of an area on a map as compared with the area’s actual size (pg.
15)
Distortion: a misrepresentation of the true shape; each map projection used by a
cartographer produces some distortion (pg. 15)
Projection: a representation of the Earth’s rounded surface on a flat piece of
paper (pg. 16)
Compass Rose: a map feature that usually shows the four cardinal directions (pg.
19)
Cardinal Direction: one of the four compass points: north, south, east, and west
(pg. 19)
Key: the section of a map that explains the symbols for the map features; also
called a legend (pg. 19)