Map Tools and Symbols
This tool on a map explains what the different symbols, colors, and lines stand for.
What is a map key (or map legend)?
This imaginary line of latitude circles the exact middle of the Earth from East to West, dividing it into Northern and Southern halves.
What is the equator?
A pair of numbers on a globe or map that shows where something is located
What is map coordinates?
There are this many total time zones in the world, one for every hour of the day.
What is 24?
A line or group of mountains
What is mountain range?
This symbol shows the cardinal directions: North, South, East, and West.
What is a compass rose?
The imaginary longitude line running from the North Pole to the South Pole that divides the Earth into Eastern and Western halves
What is the prime meridian?
This is a book of maps
What is an atlas?
When you travel across a line into a new time zone, the clock usually changes by this many hours
What is one hour?
Land that is the same elevation as the surface of the sea or ocean
What is sea level?
A drawing or picture on a flat piece of paper of a specific place or area of Earth’s surface that shows different feature
What is a map?
This word means "half of the Earth."
What is hemispheres?
A unit used to measure the distance between parallels and meridians
What is degree?
An imaginary line around which a spinning object spins
What is axis?
A type of map that shows the distribution of one or more of Earth’s physical features; for example, taller land areas, such as mountains, and lower land areas, such as valleys
What is a physical map?
This tool helps you figure out the real distance between two places on a map.
What is a map scale?
The distance between the equator and a place north or south of the equator; these lines run east to west of the equator; measured in degrees
What are lines of latitude?
A unit of measure equal to one-sixtieth of a degree of latitude or longitude
What is a minute?
The movement of a spinning object is called?
What is rotation?
The height of something; on maps, elevation is shown as the number of feet above or below sea level
What is elevation?
This is the study of the Earth's land, water, and people
What is geography?
The distance east or west of an imaginary line on the globe that goes from the North Pole to the South Pole and passes through Greenwich, England; these lines run North to South of the prime meridian; measured in degrees
What are lines of longitude?
An alphabetical list of names or places that appear in a book; it usually includes the page(s) on which the name or place appears
What is an index?
This line generally follows 180˚ longitude; by international agreement, the calendar day on the east side of the line is one day earlier than the calendar day on the west side of the line
What is the International Date Line?
A view of something from above, as a bird might see it
What is Bird's Eye View?