Geography and Mapping Concepts

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Cartography

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Science or art of making maps

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Equator

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An imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole 0 degrees

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Latitude

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Distance north or south of the equator

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Longitude

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

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Prime Meridian

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The meridian, designated at 0° longitude, which passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England.

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International Date Line

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An arc that for the most part follows 180° longitude, although it deviates in several places to avoid dividing land areas. When you cross the International Date Line heading east (toward America), the clock moves back 24 hours, or one entire day. When you go west (toward Asia), the calendar moves ahead one day.

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Topographic Maps

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Maps that use isolines to represent constant elevations. If you took a topographic map out into the field and walked exactly along the path of an isoline on your map, you would always stay at the same elevation.

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Contour interval

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On a topographic map, tells the difference in elevation between adjacent contour lines.

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Electromagnetic Spectrum

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All of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation

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Contour line

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A line on a topographic map that connects points of equal elevation