The Five Themes of Geography: location

Where is new Orleans? What information does this map tell you? What information is missing?

Absolute location vs. Relative location Absolute location is the exact place on earth where a geographic feature, such as a city, is found. New Orleans is 29º 57' N, 090º 04' W  Relative location describes a place in comparison to other places around it. Positioned in both the northern and western hemispheres North America Gulf Region Southeastern Louisiana Mouth of the Mississippi

FINDING ABSOLUTE LOCATION Grid system of imaginary lines for precisely locating places on the earth’s surface – longitude and latitude Earth is divided into two equal halves. Each half of the globe is called a hemisphere The equator is the imaginary line that divides the north and south halves The prime meridian is the imaginary line dividing the earth east and west. (A.K.A. the Greenwich Meridian Line it runs through Greenwich, England)

Measured in “Parallels” Latitude Measured in “Parallels” Imaginary lines circling the earth parallel to the Equator Measure the distance North or South of the Equator Equator divides world in North and South Hemisphere Think, ‘Ladder-tude’

Special latitude points North Pole = 90°N Arctic Circle = 66.5°N Tropic of Cancer = 23 ½°N Equator = 0° Tropic of Capricorn = 23 ½°S Antarctica = 66.5°S South Pole = 90°S Special latitude points

Measured in “Meridians” Longitude Measured in “Meridians” Imaginary vertical lines running from pole to pole Measure distance East or West of the Prime Meridian Prime Meridian divides the Earth in Eastern and Western Hemispheres Up to 180 degrees in each direction

Special longitude lines Prime Meridian (Greenwich, England = 0° International Date Line = 180° Special longitude lines

Latitude & Longitude