Geography glossary

birds-eye-view -

a view from a high location as a bird might see it

cartography -

the study and practice of making maps

climate -

the average weather in a certain area over a period of time

compass-rose -

a symbol used on maps to show North-South-East-West orientation

continents -

the large landmasses of the earth

contour lines -

thin, brown, curvy lines on a map which represent land elevation.

cross-hatching -

parallell and crossed lines are used to designate an area on a map

Click on the map to see an enlarged image. Cross-hatching shows Coastal Feeding and Migration areas.

earth axis -

earth's tilt in relation to the sun

elevation -

the height of the land in relation to sea level

environment -

the living or non-living things that are naturally on the earth; different parts of the earth have different environments

equator -

an imaginary line equidistant from the North Pole and the South pole, that divides the earth into a Northern Hemisphere and a Southern Hemisphere.

features -

the form or characteristics of something

forecast -

to predict something in advance, such as weather

geographic grid -

a series of lines running north-south and east-west used to measure the position of any place on earth

globe -

a spherical representation of the earth

key -

The key lists and defines the symbols found on a map.

layout -

the way landmarks are laid out on the ground in relation to each other

legend -

the key to all the symbols on a map

lines of latitude -

the horizontal lines shown running east-to-west on maps; give the location of a place north or south of the equator

lines of longitude -

also called meridians, lines running north-south on maps; used along with lines of latitude to give the location of a place

physical map -

A physical map shows permanent natural features such as lakes, rivers, mountains, valleys, etc.

political map -

A political map shows lines dividing countries, states, counties, and other territories.

population -

the number of people who live in a certain area

representation -

something that stands for something else

resources -

anything used to help one make a living

scale -

tells us how large an area a map represents and lets us figure out the distance between places

symbol -

a symbol is a shape which represents something else

topographic -

a topographical map uses shading to show us the shape of the land, such as hills, mountains, and valleys