Map: A flat drawing that shows where places are Globe: A model of the Earth shaped like a ball Atlas: A book of maps Compass rose: A symbol on a map that shows the directions north, south, east and west Cardinal directions: North, south, east and west Intermediate directions: Northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest Map key (legend): A box that explains what the symbols and colors on a map mean Map scale: Shows how distance on the map matches real distance Symbol: A small picture or mark on a map that stands for a real thing Title: Tells what the map shows Grid: Crossing lines on a map used to find places Equator: The imaginary line around the middle of the Earth at 0 degrees latitude Prime Meridian: The imaginary line at 0 degrees longitude that runs through Greenwich, England Latitude: Lines that run east and west and measure distance north or south of the equator Longitude: Lines that run north and south and measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian Parallels: Another name for lines of latitude Meridians: Another name for lines of longitude Hemisphere: Half of the Earth Northern Hemisphere: The half of the Earth north of the equator Southern Hemisphere: The half of the Earth south of the equator Eastern Hemisphere: The half of the Earth east of the Prime Meridian, including Asia and Australia Western Hemisphere: The half of the Earth west of the Prime Meridian, including the Americas Tropic of Cancer: The line of latitude 23.5 degrees north of the equator Tropic of Capricorn: The line of latitude 23.5 degrees south of the equator Arctic Circle: The line of latitude about 66.5 degrees north Antarctic Circle: The line of latitude about 66.5 degrees south North Pole: The point farthest north on Earth, at 90 degrees north South Pole: The point farthest south on Earth, at 90 degrees south Degree: A unit used to measure latitude and longitude, shown as ° Coordinates: Numbers (latitude and longitude) that name an exact place Political map: A map that shows borders of countries, states and cities Physical map: A map that shows landforms like mountains and rivers Topographic map: A map that uses lines to show the height and shape of the land Contour line: A line on a map joining places of the same height Elevation: How high a place is above sea level Road map: A map that shows roads and highways Thematic map: A map about one topic, such as rainfall or population Population density: How many people live in a certain area Border (boundary): A line that shows where one country, state or area ends and another begins Continent: One of Earth's seven huge land areas Capital: The city where a country's or state's government is based Region: An area with something in common, like climate or culture Relative location: Where a place is compared with other places, such as 'north of the river' Absolute location: The exact spot of a place, often given in latitude and longitude Projection: A way of flattening the round Earth onto a flat map Mercator projection: A common map style that stretches areas near the poles Inset map: A small map placed on a bigger map to show a detail Sea level: The average height of the ocean's surface, used as zero for measuring height Cartographer: A person who makes maps GPS: Global Positioning System: uses satellites to find where you are Bird's-eye view: A view looking straight down from above Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/geo-map-skills-vocabulary