Chapter 1. Maps, Globes, Atlases, Latitude and Longitude FREE
Both maps and globes show us the Earth. A globe is a round model of the Earth, so it shows the shape of the land and sea most accurately. A map is a flat drawing of the Earth or a part of it. Maps are easier to carry, fold and store, but flattening a round Earth onto paper stretches and distorts the shapes a little.
Different maps and the atlas
There are many kinds of map. A political map shows countries and their borders, while a physical map shows natural features such as mountains and rivers. A book of maps is called an atlas; you use its contents page and index to find places quickly.
Latitude and longitude
To describe exactly where a place is, we use a grid of imaginary lines. Lines of latitude run east to west around the Earth and measure how far north or south a place is. The most important one, at 0 degrees, is the Equator. Lines of longitude run from pole to pole and measure how far east or west a place is from the Prime Meridian (0 degrees).
Finding a place
Where a line of latitude crosses a line of longitude, we get a pair of coordinates. Every place on Earth has its own latitude and longitude, so coordinates let us describe its exact position.
Worked example
How would you find a city in an atlas if you knew its coordinates? You would look along the lines of latitude for the correct north-south value, then along the lines of longitude for the correct east-west value. The city lies where those two lines cross.
Common errors
- Mixing up the two. Latitude lines run east to west and measure north-south; longitude lines run north-south and measure east-west.
- Thinking a flat map shows shapes perfectly. It always distorts them a little.
- Confusing the Equator (0 degrees latitude) with the Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude).
Practice
- What is the difference between a map and a globe?
- Which line of latitude is at 0 degrees?
- What do we call a pair of latitude and longitude values?
Solutions
- A globe is a round model that shows shape accurately; a map is a flat drawing that is easier to carry but distorts shape.
- The Equator.
- Coordinates.
Summary
A globe is a round model of the Earth and a map is a flat drawing of it. An atlas is a book of maps. Lines of latitude run east to west (with the Equator at 0 degrees) and lines of longitude run pole to pole (with the Prime Meridian at 0 degrees). Together they form a grid, and the coordinates where they cross give the exact position of any place.