continents
large land masses
equator
imaginary line that runs west and east on the globe
hemisphere
equal halves
prime meridian
imaginary line that runs north and south on the globe
map title
tells the subject or kind of map you are reading
political map
shows cities, states, and countries
physical map
shows kinds of land and bodies of water
historical map
shows parts of the world as they were in the past
map key
explains the symbols on a map
inset map
a smaller map within in a larger one
locator
a small globe or map that shows where the place on the main map is located within a larger area
map scale
compares distance on a map to distance on Earth
compass rose
shows directions
cardinal directions
north, south, east, west
intermediate directions
directions between the cardinal directions (ex. northwest, southeast)
grid system
a pattern of squares that help you identify places on a map
lines of latitude
run east and west on a map and measure distance north and south of the Equator
lines of longitude
run north and south on a map and measure the distance east and west from the Prime Meridian
absolute location
the use of latitude and longitude to show the location of a place.
relative location
the use of cardinal and intermediate directions to show the location of a place.