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Earth: the planet where we live. It has a nearly spherical shape.
Globe: a spherical model of the Earth that shows continents, oceans and countries.
Map: a flat drawing that represents all or part of the Earth’s surface.
Equator: an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth that divides it into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
Parallel: an imaginary horizontal line around the Earth used to measure latitude.
Meridian: an imaginary vertical line from the North Pole to the South Pole used to measure longitude.
Scale: the relationship between real distance on Earth and distance on a map.
Coordinates: numbers that show the exact position of a place using latitude and longitude.
The Representation of the Earth
The Earth is the planet where we live. Its real shape can be seen in a globe, which shows the continents and oceans in a realistic way. However, people usually use a map because it is easier to carry and study.
To locate places on Earth, we use imaginary lines. A parallel is a horizontal line, and a meridian is a vertical line. The most important parallel is the Equator, which divides the planet into two parts called hemispheres: the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The most important meridian is the Greenwich Meridian, which separates the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
We use latitude and longitude to find the exact position of a place. These coordinates help us understand where cities and countries are located. Because the Earth is round, cartographers use a projection to represent it on a flat map. Maps also include a scale, which shows the real distance between places.
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