Vocabulary 1
The location of a place in relation to other places.
Relative location
An exact description of where something can be found.
Absolute location
How many natural regions are there in California?
There are four natural regions in California.
What are the four cardinal directions?
The four cardinal directions are north, south, east, and west.
What is a fault?
A fault is a place where two pieces of Earth's crust meet. These pieces are called plates.
The line of latitude that circles the middle of the globe.
The line of longitude at 0 degrees.
Prime meridian
This region is a land of high peaks, formed by the movement of Earth's crust.
This region is California's mountain region.
What are the four intermediate directions?
The four intermediate directions are northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest.
How do earthquakes impact California's landscape?
Lines on a globe or map that run north to south and measure distance from the prime meridian, also called meridians.
Lines of longitude
Lines on a globe or map that run east to west and measure distance from the equator, also called parallels.
Lines of latitude
This region is home to some of the world's best farmland, with a wide and flat landscape.
This region is California's valley region.
What is a hemisphere?
A hemisphere divides the globe into two halves at the equator (Northern and Southern Hemispheres) or the prime meridian (Eastern and Western Hemispheres).
What is the main fault line in California called?
California's main fault line is called the San Andreas Fault.
The city where the government of a state or country meets.
Capital
The crisscrossing lines of latitude and longitude on a map or globe.
Global grid
This region's ports are an important center for shipping, and the area has special plant and animal life.
This region is California's coastal region.
What does a population density map tell us?
A population density map shows how many people live in a given area, such as a square mile. The more people per square mile, the higher the population density.
Where does California's main fault line run?
The San Andreas Fault runs from Northern California's coastal region down to Southern California's desert region.
A diagram that shows the relationship between distances on a map and real distances on Earth.
Scale
An explanation of what symbols and colors on a map stand for.
Map key
This region is sunny and dry, and the plants and animals here are able to thrive on little rainfall. This area is home to windmills, an important energy supply.
This region is California's desert region.
Why are maps important when studying climate?
Maps are important when studying climate because the weather is affected by latitude. Places near the North and South Pole are usually cold, but places near the equator are warmer. Geographers can divide the globe into climate zones based on latitude.
What are some possible consequences of an earthquake?
The consequences of earthquakes can include building destruction, fires, homelessness, injuries, and even death.