Key (Legend)

• The section of a map that explains the symbols and colors on the map.

Mountains –

Lake –

Compass RoseA diagram of a compass showing cardinal and intermediate directions

Cardinal Directions• The directions north, south, east, and

west. Describes a Relative Location

E

S

W

Intermediate Directions• The directions northwest, northeast, southwest,

and southeast. Describes a Relative Location

NE

SE

NW

SW

Latitude and Longitude

Absolute (exact) Location

First: Divide the Earth in Half

Latitude and Longitude: A Grid System

Hemisphere = A half of the Earth.

N

S

W E

Latitude•Runs east and west around the globe and tell you your distance north or south of the Equator measured in degrees

Think of latitude like the rungs of a ladder (ladder sounds a lot like latitude). Latitude lines run east and west, but they tell how far up (north)

you can go or how far down (south) you can go. Shows an Absolute Location

Parallel is another name for a line of latitude.

Is this a good synonym? Why?

0° Equator

23°N Tropic of Cancer

23°S Tropic of Capricorn

66°S Antarctic Circle

66°N Arctic Circle

Major Lines of Latitude

Longitude•Measure your distance east or west from the Prime Meridian.

•When you think of longitude, think of long, tall telephone poles (because longitude lines run from pole to pole).

•Longitude lines run north and south, but they tell how far east you can go or how far west you can go. Shows an Absolute Location.

•Meridian is another name fore a line of longitude.

0° Prim

e Merid

ian

Major Line of Longitude

0° Equator

23°N Tropic of Cancer

23°S Tropic of Capricorn

66°S Antarctic Circle

66°N Arctic Circle

0° Prim

e Merid

ian

ALWAYS Read Latitude 1st and Longitude 2nd

•Which letter is located at 50 degrees north and 120 degrees east?•An airplane crashes at 40 degrees north and 60 degrees east. What letter would you travel to to hunt for survivors?•What continent would you be on at 10 degrees south and 70 degrees west?

44° 48' 41" N / 91° 29' 53" W

Anchorage, Alaska

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Cairo, Egypt

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

• 60° N / 150° W

• 23 ° N / 90 ° E

• 30 ° N / 30 ° E

• 22 ° S / 43 ° W

• 35 ° S / 60 ° W• 44 ° N / 91 ° W

Use your Atlas pp. 8-9 to find the cities located at:

Latitude and Longitude Resources

• Latitude & Longitude Activity

• A Printable Latitude & Longitude Map of the World

• Latitude & Longitude Map Making

• Latitude and Longitude Quiz