Geography Basics
What is the natural world around us, including land, water, plants, animals, and air?
Environment
What part of a map explains what its symbols and colors mean?
Map Key
Which lines run east to west?
Latitude
What is the breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces called?
Weathering
What is the highest point in the United States?
Denali
What is the study of Earth's natural features and processes?
Physical geography
What type of map shows borders, states, countries, and cities?
Political map
Which lines run north to south?
Longitude
What is the movement of rock and soil by water, wind, ice, or gravity called?
Erosion
In which location can you find the lowest point in the United States?
Death Valley
What is the study of how people interact with and change their environment?
Human geography
What type of map would you use to find mountains, rivers, and lakes?
Physical map
What is the name of the line at 0° latitude?
Equator
What are cracks or breaks in Earth's crust called?
Faults
What is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area?
Lake Superior
What do we call a line that separates two countries or regions?
Border
What compares a distance on a map to the actual distance in the real world?
Map scale
What is the name of the line at 0° longitude?
Prime Meridian
A rock is slowly broken into smaller pieces by ice. Is this weathering or erosion?
Weathering
What can happen to shape, size, distance, or direction when Earth's round surface is shown on a flat map?
Distortion
A new highway is built through a forest. Would studying how this affects people and their environment be physical geography or human geography?
Human geography
What is a way of showing Earth's round surface on a flat map called?
Map projection
A location is marked 30° N, 60° W. Which number tells you its latitude?
30° N
A river carries pieces of rock and soil downstream. Is this weathering or erosion? Explain why.
Erosion, because the rock and soil are being moved.
Why is it difficult to create a completely accurate flat map of Earth?
Because Earth is round, and flattening its curved surface causes distortion.