World Geography Primer



World Geography Primer

Geography: The study of the relationship between humans and their physical environment. The term geography comes from the root words GEO meaning earth and GRAPHICA meaning description. There are 2 branches of geography - physical (features of the earth) and human / cultural (characteristics of human activities)

Continents: There are 7 continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America

Oceans: There are 5 oceans: Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern

Compass Rose: There are 4 cardinal directions – North, South, East, and West. If your compass is facing north the directions going clockwise are: North, East, South, and West.

Latitude & Longitude: The Equator is 0 degrees latitude. The Prime Meridian is 0 degrees longitude. Latitude lines (parallels) run parallel to the Equator. If the map has north facing the top – the latitude lines are the flat lines and the numbers are found on the sides. Longitude lines (meridians) run parallel to the Prime Meridian they run up and down and the numbers are found at the top and bottom. Latitude lines are measured North and South of the Equator and are listed first in a set of coordinates. Longitude lines are measured West and East of the Prime Meridian and are listed second in a set of coordinates. It is helpful to start where 0 and 0 cross if possible. In the map above - Letter A is located at 0,0. B is located at 60N, 120W. C is located at 60S, 20W. D is located at 30S, 60E. E is located at 50N, 120 E. F is located at 0N/S, 160E. Notice the latitude line is always listed first!

North & South Pole: The highest possible latitude line is 90 degrees. 90 degrees north is the North Pole and 90 degrees south is the South Pole. You can not be at 95 degrees north! ( There are 180 degrees west longitude and 180 degrees east longitude. Most of the 180 degree longitude line is the International Date Line.

Hemispheres: A hemisphere is half of the earth. If you split the earth at the Equator – what is north of the Equator is the Northern Hemisphere and south is the Southern Hemisphere. If you split the earth at the Prime Meridian the half to the west is the Western Hemisphere and the other half is the Eastern Hemisphere. The United States is in the northern and western hemispheres. Australia is in the eastern and southern hemispheres.

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