Map skills and the globe
The globe, hemispheres and polar circles, contour lines, scale and time zones. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.
Know it already? Jump straight to the quiz
Lines on the globe
A globe is a round model of the Earth; shapes and distances are not distorted as on a flat map. Imaginary lines help us find places.
- The equator (0°) divides the Earth into a Northern and a Southern Hemisphere. South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere.
- The Tropic of Cancer lies at 23½° N and the Tropic of Capricorn at 23½° S.
- The Arctic and Antarctic Circles lie at about 66½°. Inside them it is cold, because sunlight falls at a low slant.
Four hemispheres
The equator divides the Earth into a Northern and a Southern Hemisphere. The Greenwich meridian (0°) and the 180° line of longitude divide it into an Eastern and a Western Hemisphere. So every place on Earth lies in two hemispheres: north or south, and east or west.
South Africa lies in the Southern and the Eastern Hemisphere.
| Country | Hemispheres |
|---|---|
| South Africa | South and East |
| Argentina | South and West |
| Canada | North and West |
| China | North and East |
Latitude, longitude and coordinates
Lines of latitude run east–west around the Earth. Lines of longitude run from pole to pole. A place’s latitude and longitude together are its coordinates: with them you can pinpoint any place.
Scale and kinds of maps
If 1 cm = 50 km, then 6 cm = 6 × 50 = 300 km. A ratio scale such as 1 : 50 000 works in any unit.
- A topographic map is a detailed map of natural and human-made features (rivers, roads, buildings, vegetation), including how high the land is.
- A political map shows borders.
- A thematic map shows one kind of information, such as rainfall.
Time zones
The Earth turns once in 24 hours (360°), so it turns 15° every hour (360 ÷ 24 = 15). That is why the world is divided into time zones of 15°, measured from the Greenwich meridian (0°). South Africa and Brazil have different times because they lie in different time zones.
Contour lines
Contour lines on a map join places of the same height above sea level. The closer together the lines, the steeper the slope; far apart means the land is almost flat.
Remember this and test yourself
- The equator (0°) divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemisphere; South Africa is in the south.
- Lines of latitude run east–west; lines of longitude run pole to pole. Together they give a place’s coordinates.
- Tropic of Cancer (23½° N), Tropic of Capricorn (23½° S), Arctic and Antarctic Circles (66½°).
- Contour lines join places of the same height; close together means steep.
- Each time zone is 15° wide, measured from the Greenwich meridian.
Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.
Latitude lines lie flat like the rungs of a ladder. Longitude lines are long, from pole to pole.
Important words
First say what the word means, then turn the card over.
Match column A to column B
Tap a word in column A, then its meaning in column B. You can also start in column B.
True or false?
Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.
Now the real quiz!
The quiz has many more questions on this topic. Every question shows straight away whether you are right and explains why.
Take the quiz: Map skills and the globe- Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
- The ticks (“I know this”) are saved on this device only. We never ask for names or emails.
Follows CAPS for Grade 6 Social Sciences (Geography). Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.