Page 12 - Key to Social Studies 4

Geographic Locations

• To locate Egypt, it is important to learn about geography.

Geography is the science of studying places on Earth.

Geography requires an exact grid (or crossed lines) to identify

the absolute location, and a locator map to identify the

relative location.

Absolute location is the exact location of a place based on the

geographic grid system.

Relative location means that we relate one location to another.

• The Earth’s grid system is based on the location of the North

Pole, the South Pole, and the Equator.

The grid network is found on both maps and globes. The grid

uses horizontal and vertical lines.

Lines of longitude, or meridians, are the vertical lines.

Lines of latitude, or parallels, are the horizontal lines.

Wherever these lines cross, we can then calculate a special

number. Geographers use these numbers, or coordinates, to

identify locations on Earth, on maps, and on globes. A set of

coordinates lets us discover an absolute location.

• The Equator is the 0-degree latitude line that separates the

Earth into the Northern Hemisphere and Southern

Hemisphere.

The Prime Meridian is the 0-degree longitude line that

separates the Earth into the Eastern Hemisphere and Western

Hemisphere.

• Egypt’s grid coordinates are 26.8206° N latitude and 30.8025° E

longitude.

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