Global Areas & Geography

Global Areas

• Geography uses specific terms to describe locations.
• The Earth is primarily divided into hemispheres.
• The equator divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres.
• The Prime Meridian splits the Earth into the western and eastern hemispheres, and runs through Greenwich, England.
• Regions are areas that share similar physical and human geography characteristics.
• The physical geography of an area often influences its human geography.
• Factors such as resource availability, climate, and terrain determine the suitability of an area for human habitation.
• Similar climate and terrain across lands result in similar natural vegetation and agricultural suitability.
• Cultural characteristics within a region are based on available foods and climate-appropriate clothing.
• Shared ideas and principles guide the behavior and values of people within a region.
• Regional cultures exist despite different languages and cultures across individual countries.
• Countries within a geographical region face similar challenges.
• Challenges can arise from climate or weather patterns, such as tropical storms or droughts.
• Similar geographical and geological conditions lead to similar natural resources and goods produced.
• Countries within a region may face trade challenges with each other and other countries due to similar resources.

Why Use Maps

• Maps help to figure out how to get from place to place.
• Maps are useful for finding hiking routes, campsites, or driving directions.
• Maps provide information about a place's size, amount of forestation or steepness of hills.
• The Ordnance Survey (OS) is the UK's mapping agency that covers the entire country.
• OS maps use symbols to represent features such as buildings, campsites, car parks, and forests.
• Different line styles on OS maps represent roads, paths, rivers, and railways.
• OS maps use a key to explain the symbols used.
• Terrain information, like hills or valleys, is shown on OS maps.

Contour Lines

• Contour lines are orange lines on OS maps
• Contour lines join points of equal elevation or height
• Contour lines include numbers to show the elevation.
• The closer the contour lines, the steeper the terrain.
• Contour lines help visualize the shape of the land and features like ridges.
• Closer contour lines indicate a steeper slope.
• A "V-shaped" contour pattern decreasing in height indicates a valley.
• A river can indicate a valley.
• Circular contour lines increasing in height indicate a hill
• Far apart contour lines mean the land is flatter.
• Close together contour lines show that the land is steep