More questions and answers can be found in The Handy Geography Answer Book by Matthew
T. Rosenberg and The Handy History Answer Book with Rebecca Nelson, editor.
The term "atlas" comes from the name of
a mythological Greek figure, Atlas. As punishment for fighting with the Titans against the gods, Atlas was forced
to hold up the planet Earth and the heavens on his shoulders. Because Atlas was often pictured on ancient books
of maps, these became known as atlases.
Circa [around] 2,700 BC, the Sumerians drew sketch maps in clay tablets that represented their
cities. These maps are the oldest known maps.
Lines of latitude and longitude make up a grid system that
was developed to help determine the location of points on the Earth. These lines run both north and south and east
and west across the planet. Lines of latitude (those that run east and west [and measure north and south]0 begin
at the equator, which is zero degrees. They extend to the North Pole and the South Pole, which are 90 degrees north
and 90 derrieres south, respectively. Lines of longitude (those that run north and south [and measure east and
west]) begin at the Prime Meridian, which is the imaginary line that runs through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich,
England. The lines of longitude extend both east and west from the Prime Meridian, which is 0 degrees, and converge
on the opposite side of the Earth at 180 degrees.
Yes, scientists have divided the other planets and their moons into longitude and
latitude systems like the Earth. They use these lines just as they do on Earth: to pinpoint exact locations on
the planet or moon.
In 1675, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, was established to study determination
of longitude. In 1884, an international conference established the prime Meridian as the longitudinal line that
passes through the Royal Observatory. The United Kingdom and the United States had been using Greenwich as the
Prime Meridian for several decades before the conference.
A topographic map shows human and physical features of the Earth and can be
distinguished from other maps by its great detail and by its contour lines indication elevation. Topographic maps
are excellent sources of detailed information about a very small area of the Earth. The United States Geological
Survey produces a set of topographic maps for the Unites States that are at a scare of 1:24,000 (one inch equaling
24,000 feet). You can purchase these maps online, at sporting goods stores, or through the USGS
itself.
A small-scale map shows a small amount of detail over a wide area, such as the
world. A large-scale map shows a large amount of detail while representing a limited area, such as neighborhoods
or towns.
There are two different ways to describe where a place is located, relative location
and absolute location. Relative location is a description of location using the relation of one place to another.
For instance, using relative location to describe where the local video store is you might say that it's on Main
Street, just past the high school. Absolute location describes the location of a place by using grid coordinates,
most commonly latitude and longitude. For instance, the local video store would be describes as being located at
23 degrees, 23 minutes, 57 seconds N and 118 degrees, 55 minutes, 2 seconds W.
