What is geography?

Field of science dedicated to the study the earth: Landscapes Features Inhabitants Phenomena

What can a map tell us?

Political map Boundaries Locations

What can a map tell us?

Physical map landforms water

What can a map tell us?

Elevation map Relative to sea level

What can a map tell us?

Population map How many people live in a certain area

Population density measured per capita

What can a map tell us?

Climate map weather patterns

temperature

What can a map tell us?

Natural resource map Shows where

certain types of natural resources can be found

How do we read maps?

Compass Also known as cardinal directions

Instrument used to show directions

North, South East, West

How do we read maps?

Map key Also known as a legend

Uses symbols to identify locations of real things

How do we read maps?

Distance scale Used to help

calculate actual distance between locations on a small map

How do we read maps?

Map grid Usually numbers and letters that divide a map into small sections that are easy to find

How do we read maps?

Latitude Horizontal lines on a world map/globe

Also known as parallels

Run East/West across the world

Middle point called the equator

How do we read maps?

Longitude Vertical lines on a world map or globe

Also known as meridians

Run North/South around the world

Middle point called “prime meridian”

How do we read maps?

Hemispheres Equator runs

East/West and splits Earth into Northern and Southern hemispheres

Prime meridian runs North/South and divides Earth into Eastern and Western hemispheres

What are land-forms?

Natural features of the of the earth’s surface

What kind of land-forms are there?

Mountains High elevation Top known as a peak

Usually formed through tectonic activity

What kind of land-forms are there?

Valleys Depression between hills or mountains

Often caused by water erosion—river valleys

What kind of land-forms are there?

Plains Flat area Important for agriculture—usually fertile

What kind of land-forms are there?

Plateaus Flat terrain that is raised above surrounding area

Also known as high plain

Often formed by volcanic activity

What kind of land-forms are there?

Glaciers Dense ice Flow very slowly

Created the great plains

What kind of land-forms are there?

Hills Above surrounding terrain

Doesn’t have a high peak

What kind of land-forms are there?

Desert Arid climate Lacks vegetation and animal life

Not always sand dunes

What kind of land-forms are there?

Volcanoes Surface of Earth breaks open, allows lava, ash, and gas to escape

170 active in USA

What kind of land-forms are there?

Wetlands Saturated with water

Marshes, swamps, bogs

Lots of wildlife

What kind of land-forms are there?

Rivers Water flowing towards body of water

Many flood in wet seasons

What kind of land-forms are there?

Lakes Depression filled with water

Tectonics, landslides and ice dams, oxbows, craters, glacial activity

How is America divided up?

United States of America States Counties, parishes, boroughs (Not CT, RI)

Townships

American Regions

Annual Precipitation

Physical Economic Vegetation Natural Disasters

Northeast mountainsforestscoastline

fishingshippingtourism

thick forests Blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes

Southeast wetlandsgulf coast

fishingshippingoil

Cypress treesPalm trees

hurricanesfloods

Midwest plainsGreat Lakes

agriculture grasslands tornadoes

Southwest desertsGrand Canyon

oil cactus, succulents

some tornadoes

Western mountainstundrarainforest

fishingshippingtourismlumber

Palm treesthick forests

earthquakestsunamis