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Los 8 Elementos De Los Mapas 🗺🌏|Aprendelos Fácil 😎 y Rápido ⚡

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instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

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Longitude and Latitude Explained: Map Skills | Geography | ClickView

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Exploring locations - the seven continents - Years 1/2 - P2/3 - Geography Collection - BBC Bitesize

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Learn about the seven continents of the world with Sue Venir in this Geography collection for Years 1/2 and P2/3.

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Britannica article about maps and globes

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Britannica article about maps and globes

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A map is a drawing of all or part of Earth's surface. Its basic purpose is to show where things are. Maps may show visible features, such as rivers and lakes, forests,...

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View the Mapping collection on Epic plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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The Equator is an imaginary circle around Earth. It divides Earth into two equal parts: the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. It runs east and west halfway between the North and South poles. The distance around the Equator is about 24,900 miles (40,000 kilometers).

The Equator appears on maps and globes. It is the starting point for the measuring system called latitude. Latitude is a system of imaginary east-west lines, called parallels, that circle Earth parallel to the Equator. Parallels are used to measure distances in degrees north or south of the Equator. The latitude of the Equator is zero degrees.

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The Equator is an imaginary circle around Earth. It divides Earth into two equal parts: the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. It runs east and west halfway between the North and South poles. The distance around the Equator is about 24,900 miles (40,000 kilometers). The Equator appears on maps and globes.

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National Geographic- How to Read Map Symbols

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National Geographic- How to Read Map Symbols

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LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE

Latitude and longitude lines (above) help us determine locations on Earth. Every place on Earth has a special address called absolute location. Imaginary lines called lines of latitude run west to east, parallel to the Equator. These lines measure distance in degrees north or south from the Equator (0° latitude) to the North Pole (90°N) or to the South Pole (90°S). One degree of latitude is approximately 70 miles (113 km). Lines of longitude run north to south, meeting at the Poles. These lines measure distance in degrees east or west from 0° longitude (prime meridian) to 180° longitude. The prime meridian runs through Greenwich, England.

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Every map has a story to tell, but first you have to know how to read one. Maps represent information by using a language of symbols. Knowing how to read these symbols provides access to a wide range of information.

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(Newsela) Researchers Complete First-Ever Detailed Map of Global Coral 640L

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(Newsela) Researchers Complete First-Ever Map of Global Cora 840L

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(Newsela) What's in a Map? 670L

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(Newsela) What's in a Map? 800L

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It's my friend's birthday. He loves the outdoors, so we're going camping and I'm taking this birthday cake in the shape of a mountain!

He's given me this map to show the way to the campsite, but it's really hard to understand.

He's written names next to everything on the map, but instead of making it clearer, it looks too cluttered!

It would be clearer with symbols instead of words. Instead of using the word campsite, we could use the symbol for campsite.

And instead of writing car park, we could use the symbol for car park.

If we change all the other things to symbols, it makes it easier to understand.

We'll need a key to show what the symbols mean. I still need to show where the hills are.

This where contours come in.

Contours are lines drawn on maps that join places of the same height.

They can be used to see the shape of the land.

Look, I'll show you using the birthday cake.

First, I'm going to slice my mountain cake up horizontally at different heights.

Then, if we look at it from above we can see what the contours would look like.

We can see where the slope is the steepest, the contour lines are closest together.

And where the slope is shallow, the lines are far apart.

If I add contours to the map, I can see where the hills are and how steep they are.

You don't always need cake to explain geography but it helps!

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Contours, keys and symbols - BBC Bitesize

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Ever wondered what all those funny drawings and curved lines are on a map? Find out how to use a map with this year 5/6 BBC Bitesize Geography guide.

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20 Facts about the World's Continents you should know

Our Continent Facts for Kids provide lots of interesting and fun facts on the continents of the world.

There are seven continents and five oceans on our planet. The continents are the huge landmasses that separated by the waters of the oceans. On this page we will tell you more about the continents, about their sizes and special features.

The seven continents on our planet are: Africa, Asia, Antarctica, Europa, North America and South America and Oceania/Australia. These 7 continents vary in size and population numbers.

20 Top Continent Facts

1. is the largest continent in size . It has the biggest land area and the world's biggest population. This means most people on our Earth live on the Asian continent.

2. About 4.6 billion people live in Asia. The Asian continent has the most populous cities, which means there are the biggest cities in the world. Many million people live in the urban centres of the Asian continent, in cities such as in Delhi, Tokyo, Shanghai or Beijing.

3. on the Arabian peninsula is on of the richest nations in the world due to its income from oil exploration and the petroleum industry. Saudi-Arabia, the Asia houses some of the richest nations in the world. The tiny country Qatar United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are also among richest countries in the world due to their oil reserves.

4. The most languages are spoken in Asia - over 2,300 languages! However, most of these languages are spoken only by small groups of people. 2,000 languages of the world's 7,000 languages are spoken by less than 1,000 people!

Chinese is the language with the most native speakers - with almost 1.4 billion people speaking it.

Read more about the Asian continent here.

﻿5. Australia/Oceania is the smallest continent of the planet. Strictly speaking Oceania is a geographic region that includes Australasia, Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia.

This means Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and the many islands to the north and east of Australia in the Pacific Ocean are this region and thus on this continent. Australia is the largest landmass in the region and thus often also referred to as a continent.

6. About 43 million people live in Oceania. The most populous cities of the continent are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth - all these cities are in Australia.
Read more about Oceania here.
﻿7. Africa is the continent with the most countries. There are 54 countries on the African continent.

About 1.3 billion people live in Africa. The largest cities of the African continent are Lagos/Nigeria, Kinshasa/DR Congo and Cairo/Egypt.

8. The oldest human fossils such as skeletons and skulls have been discovered in Africa, therefore the African continent is also referred to as the 'cradle of humankind'.

9. From the 15th - 19th century Africa was colonised by several countries including Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Germany. The only countries that escaped colonialisation in Africa are Ethiopia and Liberia.

10. Africa also houses the longest river in the world, the Nile and the second highest waterfalls in the world, the Tugela Falls in South Africa.

Read more about the African continent here.

More Continent Facts for Kids

11. North America is a continent which is located entirely on the northern and western hemisphere. There are 23 countries in total on the North American continent.

North American countries are:

12. The the world's largest island Greenland is located on the North American continent. Greenland, however, belongs to Denmark, a country in Europe. Greenland is also known for the northernmost place in the world!

13. About 580 million people live on the North American continent. North America is home to the largest Christian population in the world. Almost 80% of the people in Canada, the USA and Mexico consider themselves as Christians.

14. The Maya civilisation of Central America and Mexico is considered one of the oldest civilisations of this planet.

15. North America has the largest number of people who speak English either as their first language (231 million people) or as their second language fluently. English, however, is spoken by people in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Read more about North America here.

16. Europe is considered to be the wealthiest and richest continent, however, there are poor regions especially in the eastern parts of the continent too!

17. Europe houses the two smallest countries in the world:

Vatican City which is located inside Rome/Italy

Monaco which is bordered on three sides by France.

18. According to the United Nations, there are 44 countries in Europe. Five European countries are among the ten smallest countries in the world: San Marino, Liechtenstein, Vatican City, Monaco and the island country of Malta. The other five tiny countries of our planet are located on islands outside Europe.
Read more about the European continent here.
1﻿9. South America is a continent of many natural superlatives:

the longest mountain range - the Andes

the highest waterfalls - the Angel Falls

and the driest place on earth - the Atacama Desert in Chile.

About 430 million people live in South America.
Read more amazing facts about the South American continent on our page here.
20. Antarctica is the smallest continent by population numbers. This means the huge continent is only sparsely populated.

On Antarctica there are only research stations for scientists and no permanent settlements. Antarctica is covered almost completely by ice. 90% of the planet's ice is located on this continent, which also makes up 60% - 70% of the world's freshwater supply.

Read more about Antarctica here.

Continent Facts Quiz
Ready? Take our Geo Quiz!

More about the 7 Continents

Are you a Continent Expert already? Test your Knowledge!

Do you like writing - Join our essay competition

Popular Pages

Continent Facts | Further Resources

Paul Ward. "Frequently Asked Questions about Antarctica". Cool Antarctica. Last accessed 5 May 2023

Rick Noack and Lazaro Gamio. "The World's Languages". Washington Post. 23 April 2015. Last accessed 5 May 2023

Maropeng. "The Cradle of Human Kind World Heritage Site Last accessed 5 May 2023

National Geographic. "World Atlas for Young Explorers". Washington: 2010Millennium House "Earth Condensed. The World Atlas". 2009

Images on Continent Facts: Shutterstock.com Go back from Continent Facts to Geography Facts Return to Kids-World-Travel-Guide Homepage

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Continent Facts | The 7 Continents of the World | Fun Facts for Kids

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Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, North America, South America and Antactica are the seven continents of the world. Find here the most important continent facts, fun facts and easy-to-read for children.

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Geography Lesson: Time Zones Explained | Twig

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South America Geography/South American Countries

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Come explore...South America with Lonely Planet Kids

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This is PATAGONIA in Chile and Why You Need To Go | Torres del Paine National Park in 4K

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The Mysteries of the Moai on Easter Island | National Geographic

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The fast fashion graveyard in Chile's Atacama Desert - BBC News

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See One of Earth’s Driest Places Experience a Rare Flower Boom | National Geographic

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Atacama desert - The driest desert in the world

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Where Did the Easter Island Statues Come from? | BBC Earth

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CARRETERA AUSTRAL: LA RUTA MÁS BELLA DE LA PATAGONIA CHILENA

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BBC Bitesize- Latitude, Longitude & Hemispheres

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BBC Bitesize- Latitude, Longitude & Hemispheres

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What is longitude and latitude? - BBC Bitesize

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Discover what longitude and latitude are and understand what the different hemispheres are. Learn how to locate different places in the world.

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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If you've ever looked at a or a map of the world, you've probably noticed lots of different lines. What do all these lines mean? If you go to those parts of the world, can you see the lines? Could you trip over them?

Don't worry! None of those lines are actual lines that you can see on the ground. They're just lines we use on maps to help us measure and understand the world we live in.

The lines you see on a or a map of the world are called lines of and . lines run east and west (side to side) and help us measure distances north and south. lines run north and south (up and down) and help us measure distances east and west.

and lines measure distances in units called degrees. The lines of and where we start measuring from have special names. The equator is 0 degrees , and the prime meridian is 0 degrees .

The equator is the between the North Pole and the South Pole. It runs from side to side across the middle of the Earth through parts of South America, Africa, and Asia.

The prime meridian runs through the United Kingdom, France, Spain, parts of Africa, and Antarctica. Its was not determined by choosing a between particular features, like the Earth's poles.

In fact, although the earliest maps have the equator marked on them, the prime meridian wasn't officially named and marked until the late 1800s. Before that time, over a dozen different locations were being used to mark 0 degrees . The International Meridian Conference of 1884 chose a single line of running through Greenwich, England, as the prime meridian.

Earth is a sphere and the equator and the prime meridian divide Earth into four hemispheres: north, south, east, and west. For example, the United States is in both the Northern Hemisphere (because it's north of the equator) and the Western Hemisphere (because it's west of the prime meridian).

Because of the equator's between Earth's poles, its is warm and sunny. rainforests thrive near the equator because of the sunshine and rain areas along the equator receive.

If you wanted to travel all the way around Earth along the equator, you'd need to travel about 25,000 miles! It's difficult to measure the exact length of the equator, though, because it travels up and down hills and mountains throughout South America and Africa.

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If you want to read today's Wonder of the Day, you'd better get here early. We have a feeling there's going to be a line!

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The Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn are latitudes to the north and south of the Equator. Latitude is an invisible line that runs around the outside of the Earth in a ring. Expressed in degrees, latitudes run from east to west and are described by their position north or south of the Equator where the Equator is 0° and the north and south poles are 90°.

There are 180 different latitudes, and each lies along a given degree. Their degree rings connect points at the same degree around the Earth, on parallel loops.

There are five main latitudes that are given specific names ( aside from their degree locations). These are the Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic Circle.

The Equator runs around the very middle of the Earth, at zero degrees, and cuts the Earth evenly into a 'top' northern half and 'bottom' southern half. These halves are known as hemispheres. The Tropic of Cancer is located at 23.5 degrees north and the Tropic of Capricorn is at 23.5 degrees south. The Arctic and Antarctic Circles are at 66.5 degrees north and 66.5 degrees south, respectively.

Tropic Of Cancer

The Tropic of Cancer marks the northern edge of the area of the world known as the tropics. This region makes up 36% of the Earth and holds roughly one-third of the Earth's population. This tropic also passes through more cities than its southern equivalent, as there is a higher percentage of the landmass in the northern hemisphere. The Tropic of Cancer runs through 16 countries on three different continents and six water bodies. These countries include Mexico, the Bahamas, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Libya, Egypt,, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, India, Myanmar, and China.

The Tropic of Capricorn passing through the Bahamas.

The sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer at the summer solstice, which usually falls on June 21. This means that not only is the sun immediately overhead, but this tropic is the farthest point north on Earth where the sun is exactly overhead at noon.

The latitude got its name from the constellation of Cancer, the crab. At the time of naming, the sun pointed towards the Cancer constellation during the solstice.

Tropic of Capricorn

The Tropic of Capricorn is the southerly equivalent of the Tropic of Cancer and is the southern boundary of the tropics. It sits at 23.5 degrees south and marks the southernmost point on Earth where the sun can be exactly overhead at noon. While the northern Cancer has this phenomenon occur in June, in the southern hemisphere, this date is December 21, which marks the summer solstice in the southern part of the world. Like with the Tropic of Cancer, this latitude was also named because at the time (some 2,000 years ago) the sun pointed towards the constellation of Capricorn during the solstice. Over time, the position of the sun in relation to the other stars has shifted, and the constellations don't line up quite in the same way, but the names still stand and are connected to the constellations.

The Tropic of Capricorn passes through much more open water than the Tropic of Cancer, but there are still several countries it runs through. These include Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Australia, French Polynesia, and just barely touching New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands and finally Pitcairn island.

These latitudinal lines were particularly important in the days of ancient travel. Explorers and travelers on both land and sea could use these sun-related and celestial guides to navigate long cross-nation travel. These demarcation lines were crucial to the safe passage across open oceans or areas that were sparsely populated.

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Why Are The Tropics Of Cancer And Capricorn So Important?

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The Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn are latitudes to the north and south of the Equator. Latitude is an invisible line that runs around the outside of the Earth in a ring.

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instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

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The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 40,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

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National Geographic Countries of the World - photos for each

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National Geographic Countries of the World - photos for each

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Los CONTINENTES para niños - Geografía para niños

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EJE TERRESTRE Y ZONAS TÉRMICAS **GEOGRAFÍA**

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Los CONTINENTES y OCÉANOS para niños | Recopilación | ¿Cuántos continentes y océanos hay?