Geographer's Tools

Folie 1

Absolute Location

• the precise point where a place is located on earth
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Distortion

• a change in the shape, size, or position of a place when it is shown on a map
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Map Projection

• a way of representing the spherical Earth on a flat surface
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Relative Location

• where a place is located in relation to another place.
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Climate

• the pattern of weather over a long period of time.
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• Bildunterschrift: Highland Climate (Above)

Population Density

• the average number of people who live in a unit of area, such as a square mile. It measures how crowded an area is.
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Landform

• any natural feature of Earth's surface that has a distinct shape.
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• Bildunterschrift: Land forms

Physical Feature

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• Bildunterschrift: The Grand Canyon
• any natural characteristic of earth's surface such as landforms and bodies of water.

Region

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• an area defined by one or more natural or cultural characteristics that set it apart from other areas.

Compass Rose

• A tool on a map showing cardinal (N,E,S,W) and intermediate (NE,SE,NW,SW) directions.
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Cardinal Directions

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• North, South, East, West

Intermediate Directions

• Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest.
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Map Scale

• an element of a map that shows how a unit of distance on the map (such as an inch) relates to actual distance on the surface of Earth.
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Latitude

• Distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees North or South.
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Longitude

• Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees east or West
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Hemispheres

• Sections of the Earth divided by the Equator and Prime Meridian (Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western).
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Tropical Zones

• near the equator; they receive direct or nearly direct sunlight year-round, almost always warm.
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Temperate Zones

• sit between the polar zones and the tropics: climate is generally warm in the summer and cold in the winter.
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Push Factor

• a condition that drives people from their homeland.
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Pull Factor

• a condition that attracts people to move to a new area
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Geography

• The study of the distribution and interaction of physical and human features on the earth
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