Geography Vocabulary

the study of the Earth and the people who live on it, and how they use it

• compass rose

• Prime Meridian

• geography

• latitude/parallels

imaginary line of longitude that runs from the North to South Pole at 0 degrees

• Prime Meridian

• Equator

• compass rose

• intermediate directions

a person who creates maps

• compass rose

• cartographers

• map scale

• cardinal directions

bodies of salt water surrounding great land masses that cover about 71% of the Earth's surface

• latitude/parallels

• cartographers

• Equator

• ocean

half of the Earth (there are four)

• continent

• hemispheres

• longitude/

  meridians

• axis

imaginary lines that run from the North to South Pole (top to bottom) around the world

• latitude/parallels

• longitude/

  meridians

• intermediate directions

• cardinal directions

imaginary East to West circles around the Earth that run parallel to the Equator

• latitude/parallels

• longitude/

  meridians

• intermediate directions

• cardinal directions

Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest

• latitude/parallels

• longitude/

  meridians

• intermediate directions

• cardinal directions

located on the compass rose; they are North, South, East, and West

• latitude/parallels

• longitude/

  meridians

• intermediate directions

• cardinal directions

the size of an area on a map as compared with the area's actual size

• map scale

• hemispheres

• continent

• axis