political map
shows information such as state or national borders; often show the capital cities and major cities of states or countries
title
tells you what the map shows
map legend or map key
explains the meaning of the symbols on the map
symbol
a marking or color that stands for something
scale
shows distance; helps you see how far apart locations are
compass rose
shows you the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west
globe
a model of earth
equator
an imaginary line that extends around the center of Earth
latitude
measure distances north and south of the equator
longitude
measure distances east and west of the prime meridian
prime meridian
the line of longitude marked as 0 degrees
hemisphere
half of Earth
absolute location
tells the exact location of a place on Earth
relative location
describes where a place is in relation to another place
physical geography
the natural features of a place
physical map
shows the landforms and bodies of water found in a place
elevation
the height of land above sea level
human geography
explains how people affect Earth's surface
population map
shows where people live