Topography and Climate Overview

Study Notes

Topography describes the physical features of a land area.
Topography includes natural formations like mountains, rivers, lakes, and valleys.
Topography also encompasses man-made features like roads, dams, and cities.
Landforms are physical features that affect an area.
Elevation refers to the height of mountains, valleys, hills, plateaus, glaciers, lakes, and rivers.
Latitude determines the north/south position of a location relative to the equator.
Longitude determines the east/west position of a location, measured from the Prime Meridian.

A topographic map is a geographic tool that depicts the physical features of a region.

Climate refers to the average measurements of temperature, wind, humidity, snow, and rainfall over a long period in a particular location.

There are four major climate zones: polar and subpolar, temperate, subtropical, and tropical.
Polar and subpolar zones have cool summers and very cold winters.
Temperate zones have no extreme temperatures and precipitation, with smooth transitions between seasons.
Subtropical zones experience relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year.
Tropical zones have only two seasons: a dry season and a wet season.

Natural resources are naturally occurring materials that humans can use for economic benefits.
Natural resources are categorized into four types: renewable, living, nonrenewable, and fossil fuels.
Renewable resources can be reproduced or replicated, such as coconut trees.
Living resources are plants and animals that provide food and other materials.
Nonrenewable resources cannot be replaced once used or gathered, such as gold, silver, and diamonds.
Fossil fuels are sources of energy, such as oil, coal, and diesel.