Lesson 1  Location of the Philippines

At the end of the lesson, the learners are able to:

1. describe the location of the Philippines on the map and

2. identify the location of the Philippines in the world using a map based on its absolute location

ABSOLUTE LOCATION OF THE PHILIPPINES

The globe is the closest model of the earth, while the map is the flat representation of the world. These are very important tools in studying the earth. They are of different sizes and shapes, and even the distances and territories of places in the world are different, too.

You will notice that there are horizontal and vertical lines on the globe and map. These are only imaginary lines which are of great help in identifying the exact location of any place. Each line is measured by a degree. The vertical lines measure 360 degrees around the globe, while the horizontal lines measure 90 degrees north and south from 0 degrees which is the equator.•Parallels are latitude lines that run from east to west, while meridians are longitude lines that run from north to south.

•Latitude refers to the distance between two parallels, while longitude refers to the distance between two meridians.

SPECIAL PARALLELS - The equator is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude which serves as a point of reference in measuring the distance going to the poles from north to south. It traverses at the center of the globe from east to west. It divides the globe into two parts. The north part is called the Northern Hemisphere and the south part is called the Southern Hemisphere.

SPECIAL PARALLEL LINES

•The Arctic Circle is at 66.5 degrees northern latitude. The Antarctic Circle is at 66.5 degrees southern latitude. These places experience long periods of winter and very short periods of summer.

•The Tropic of Cancer is at 23.5 degrees northern latitude, while the Tropic of Capricorn is at 23.5 degrees southern latitude. The places and countries in these two tropics are in the low latitude and experience hot climate for long periods of time.

•Countries in between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle, and those found in between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle are in the middle latitude. These countries experience four seasons—winter, spring, summer, and autumn.

•There are places which are located between 66.5 degrees and 90 degrees north and south. These places are covered in ice the whole year. The temperature in these regions is very cold.

•The Prime Meridian, also called Greenwich Meridian, is at 0 degrees longitude and serves as a point of reference in measuring distance in the meridians in the east or west. It measures 180 degrees and divides Earth into the Eastern Hemisphere (right side of the Prime Meridian) and the Western Hemisphere (left side of the Prime Meridian).

•The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line located at about 180 degrees east or west of the Greenwich Meridian and crosses the Pacific Ocean from north to south. The line differentiates the time and date in the different parts of the world. If you cross the IDL as you travel to the east, you have to subtract 24 hours from the place of origin. But if you travel west, you have to add 24 hours.

•If parallel and meridian lines intersect, they form a grid.  A grid is a great help in locating the absolute location of a particular place on the globe.

•The Philippines is located between the Tropic of Cancer and the equator in the Northern Hemisphere. It is 4 degrees away from the equator. Its absolute location is between 4 degrees and 21 degrees north latitude, and 116 degrees and 127 degrees east longitude. It is located in the Tropical Zone.

•There are four basic or primary directions used in locating places. These are North (N), South (S), East (E), and West (W).

Aside from the primary directions, there are also secondary directions. These are found in between the primary directions. Between the north and the east is the northeast (NE), between the north and the west is the northwest (NW), between the south and the east is the southeast (SE), and between the south and the west is the southwest (SW). In reading secondary directions, north and south come first.

•There are two ways of identifying the relative location of the Philippines.

•1. Vicinal Location – It is the location based on the countries surrounding the Philippines. Our country is surrounded by Taiwan in the north, Malaysia and Indonesia in the south, Guam in the east, and Vietnam in the west. It tells the neighboring countries around the Philippines.

•2. Insular or Maritime Location –It is the location based on the bodies of water surrounding the Philip,.lpines. Our country is surrounded by the Bashi Channel in the north, Celebes Sea in the south, Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Sea  in the east, and the West Philippine Sea in the west.

ACTIVITY #1.    Answer the following questions:

A.   Analyzing

1. Why are globes and maps important instruments in locating places?

2. How does the location of a country affect the way of life of the people?

B. Evaluating

1. Is the location of the Philippines an advantage to the country and its people? Why or why not?

2. The Philippines is an archipelago. Is this beneficial or challenging to our country’s development?  Explain your answer.

ACTIVITY #2

Choose a partner. Share your insights on the question below and then share your combined answer with the class.

1.  Based on what you learned from the lesson, how would you describe the

 Philippines to foreigners or your friends abroad?

2.  Collaborative Activities

Form groups of five. Choose one activity from the list below:

Construct a diorama of a globe using recyclable materials. Indicate the imaginary lines and other significant details.