Deer is an animal of the chordate type, mammal class, artiodactyl order, deer family (deer) ( Cervidae). The article provides a description of the family.

The deer got its modern name thanks to the Old Slavonic word “deer”. So the ancient Slavs called a slender animal with branched horns.

Deer: description and photo. What does the animal look like?

The sizes of the representatives of the family vary greatly. The height of the reindeer ranges from 0.8 to 1.5 meters, the body length is 2 meters, and the weight of the deer is about 200 kg. A small crested deer barely reaches 1 meter in length and weighs no more than 50 kg.

The most slender body is distinguished by the red deer, which has a proportional build, an elongated neck and a light, slightly elongated head. The eyes of a deer are yellow-brown in color, with deep lacrimal grooves located nearby. The broad forehead is slightly concave.

Some types of deer have thin, graceful limbs, others have short legs, but all are united by well-developed leg muscles and the presence of fingers spaced apart and connected by membranes.

A deer's teeth are a good indicator of its age. According to the degree of grinding of fangs and incisors, curvature and angle of inclination, a specialist can accurately determine the age of a deer.

All species, except for the hornless water deer, are distinguished by branched horns (called antlers), and only males differ in such bone formations.

Reindeer is the only species of deer in which females have antlers on a par with males, but much smaller.

Most deer species living in temperate latitudes shed their antlers every year. In their place, new ones immediately begin to grow, consisting first of cartilage, then overgrown with bone tissue. Deer antlers grow depending on its diet: the denser the diet, the faster the antlers grow. Deer living in the tropics do not shed their antlers for years, and the inhabitants of the equatorial belt do not lose them at all.

The main function of deer antlers is protection and attack, and the chances of a particular male individual to win in a duel for a female deer depend on their power. Reindeer use their antlers as tools, digging snow with them to get to moss reindeer. The span of the horns of a mature male deer is 120 cm.

The deer sheds its antlers

And this deer has grown antlers of an atypical shape

Deer skin is covered with fur, thin and short in summer, and longer and thicker in winter.

The color of deer fur depends on the species and can be brown, coffee-brown, red-brown, brownish, gray, red, plain, with spots and marks.

Deer is an animal that is among the twenty fastest.

The speed of a deer fleeing a chase can reach 50-55 km/h.

Deer live in Europe and Asia, in Russia, feel at ease in North and South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In the wild, the average life expectancy of a deer is 15-20 years. In zoos and reindeer farms, with good care, deer live up to 25-30 years.

Deer are animals that are quite unpretentious to the environment. They feel great on the plains, and in areas with mountainous terrain, and in wetlands, and in the zone of tundra mosses and lichens.

Many species inhabit precisely excessively humid places, choosing areas near water bodies for living. Preferring mainly a nomadic lifestyle, deer live in forests with their forb meadows in summer, wander into impenetrable thickets in winter, as there are usually fewer snow drifts and it is easier to find food under a thin layer of snow.

Deer is a herbivore, the diet of which depends on the species and range. In spring and early summer, deer feed on cereals, umbrellas, and legumes. Reindeer food in summer - nuts, chestnuts, mushrooms, berries, plant seeds.

During the warm season, deer eat buds, leaves and young shoots of trees and shrubs: maple, mountain ash, viburnum. The deer will not refuse, and other fruits. In winter, deer are forced to eat bark and branches of plants, needles, acorns and lichens.

Animals make up for the lack of minerals in the body with salt extracted from salt licks, and also chew the earth rich in mineral salts, drink water from mineral springs. Replenishing the protein deficiency, deer gnaw their own discarded antlers and are forced to eat bird eggs.

Deer species, names and photos

The modern classification of the deer family includes 3 subfamilies, 19 genera and 51 species. In addition to deer, fallow deer, pudu, roe deer, as well as mazams, muntjacs, axis, sambars and barasinga are representatives of the family.

The most interesting varieties of deer are considered to be the following:

• Noble deer(Cervus elaphus)

It belongs to the genus true deer and includes 15 subspecies. Representatives of the species are united by a characteristic white spot under the tail, which rises above the coccyx. There is no spotting in the color of the red deer in summer. Deer antlers are distinguished by a significant number of branches (especially in European deer), forming a characteristic crown at the end of each antler. Depending on the subspecies, the size of a deer can be 2.5 meters in length and 1.3-1.6 meters at the withers, with a weight of over 300 kg (maral and wapiti). A small Bukhara deer weighs a little less than 100 kg and grows up to 170-190 cm.

The diet of the animal in the spring-summer period consists of various legumes, grass and cereals. In winter, deer feed on shoots of shrubs and trees, fallen leaves, various mushrooms, chestnuts, and tree bark. With a lack of food, deer can eat spruce or pine needles, lichens and acorns. Of great importance for the normal life of these mammals is the salt balance, which they maintain on natural or artificial solonchaks.

The red deer lives on a rather vast territory, covering Western European, Scandinavian countries, Algeria, the Moroccan Republic and China, as well as both American continents, Australia and New Zealand. The main condition is the presence of a nearby fresh water body. Red deer live in one specific area in herds of up to 10 individuals, although after the mating season their number can increase to 30.

• or caribou(Rangifer tarandus)

It stands out among relatives with an upper lip completely covered with hair and the presence of horns in individuals of both sexes. The body size of an adult male is 1.9-2.1 meters with a weight of 190 kg, the female reindeer (which also has the name vazhenka) grows up to 1.6-1.9 m and weighs up to 123 kg. The reindeer is an animal of a squat build, devoid of the grace inherent in deer and having a slightly elongated skull shape.

Reindeer food: grass, which grows in abundance in the tundra, bush leaves, mushrooms, various berries. With a lack of protein nutrition, deer find bird nests and eat bird eggs laid in them and even young chicks. Reindeer also feed on small rodents - lemmings. The main food for deer in the tundra in winter is reindeer moss. Reindeer compensates for the lack of minerals in poor food by eating their own antlers, drinking sea water or visiting salt marshes.

Reindeer live in the tundra and taiga in Eurasia, North America and the islands of the Arctic Ocean. Numerous herds of reindeer live in the plains and mountainous taiga regions, graze on the endless tundra and swampy expanses, making spring and winter migrations in search of food.

• water deer(Hydropotes inermis)

The only hornless deer in the family. The size of the species is 75-100 cm in length, the height of the deer is 45-55 cm, and the body weight is 9-15 kg. An adult male deer is distinguished by saber-shaped curved fangs (teeth), protruding noticeably from under the upper lip. The skin is dyed brown.

The main food of deer is the leaves of bushes, young green grass, as well as juicy river sedge. Animals cause significant damage to agriculture, making devastating raids on cultivated rice fields and destroying not only weeds, but also cultivated shoots.

Under natural conditions, water deer live in the floodplains of the rivers of the eastern and central parts of China and the Korean Peninsula. The hornless deer was introduced to England and France, where it successfully adapted to the local climate. These animals lead a solitary lifestyle, finding a mate only for the rut period. In search of food, they swim several kilometers, migrating between numerous islands in river deltas.

• or mila(Elaphurus davidianus)

A rare species of deer that completely died in nature at the beginning of the 20th century. Nowadays, they are trying to restore the population in Chinese reserves, where the species originally existed. Representatives of the species acquired their name thanks to Armand David, a French priest and naturalist.

The body length of an adult deer is 150-215 cm, height at the withers can reach 140 cm, and the weight of a deer reaches 150-200 kg. An exceptional feature of this species is that David's deer change their antlers twice a year. These animals have an elongated narrow head, atypical for deer, as well as long curly hair on the body.

The food of the David deer consists of grass, young branches and leaves of shrubs, sugar cane and a variety of algae.

Unfortunately, in natural conditions, the habitat of this species is no longer observed. All known individuals live in nature reserves and zoos. David's deer are herding animals. Even before and after the mating season, they prefer to stay in small groups of up to 10 individuals. During the rut for the right to possess a harem of females, males arrange real battles, using not only horns, but also teeth, as well as forelimbs in the battle.

• white-faced deer(Przewalskium albirostris)

The animal has a large body up to 230 cm long and an impressive weight of up to 200 kg. The height of the deer at the withers is 1.3 m. This species got its name due to the white color of the neck and front of the head. A distinctive feature of the species are high wide hooves and large white deer antlers.

The white-faced deer feeds on various herbs growing in the spacious alpine meadows. As food, animals are happy to eat numerous types of clover, meadowsweet, large-flowered beetle, angelica and motley fescue. In addition, they often eat foliage from undersized shrubs.

The white-faced deer lives mainly in the coniferous forests of eastern Tibet and some Chinese provinces. Animals are found in the mountainous regions of the Alps, located at an altitude of more than 3500 meters above sea level. They form communities, the number of which does not exceed 20 individuals. In search of food, deer often migrate to altitudes up to 5000 m.

• crested deer(Elaphodus cephalophus)

The animal has a black-brown crest on its head, up to 17 cm long. Adult deer grow to a size of 110-160 cm with a body weight of 17-50 kg. The color of the deer can be dark brown or dark gray. The horns are short and not branched, barely visible from under the crest.

In addition to the characteristic plant food, consisting of leaves of trees and shrubs, grass and various berries, crested deer often eat small carrion, which is the protein component of the diet.

Deer live on the territory of South and East Asia in forests spread at an altitude of more than 4500 m. Very cautious animals lead a solitary and isolated way of life. They meet with representatives of the opposite sex only during the rut. They are most active at dawn or dusk.

• White-tailed deer (virgin deer) (Odocoileus virginianus)

The most common member of the family, lives in North America.

It got its name for the interesting color of the tail, the top of which is brown and the bottom is white. The northern part of the population has a height at the withers of up to 1 m, and a body weight of about 150 kg. Representatives of the population living on the Florida Keys grow up to 60 cm at the withers and weigh only 35 kg.

In spring and summer, deer eat green growth of shrubs or trees, succulent grass, and flowering plants. In addition, they raid agricultural fields, where they destroy crops of cereals. In autumn, deer feed on fruits, berries and nuts. In winter, these animals have to be content with fallen leaves and branches.

White-tailed deer live on mountain slopes and in spacious forests, as well as on the vast expanses of the prairies and savannahs of South and North America. Most of the time, Virginian deer lead a solitary lifestyle, gathering in small herds only during the mating season.

• pig deer(Axis porcinus)

It got its name for the original manner of movement, reminiscent of a move. The height of the deer at the withers is 70 cm, the length of the body is 110 cm, the weight of the deer is about 50 kg. The animal has a fluffy tail, males are darker than females.

Deer live in the flat landscapes of Pakistan, India, Thailand and other states of South Asia. The species has also been introduced to Australia and the United States. These animals lead a solitary lifestyle, rarely gathering in small herds.

Reindeer graze mainly at night, preferring to rest during the daytime, hiding in densely overgrown shrubs. The deer's diet does not depend on the seasons and consists of a variety of grasses, as well as branches and leaves of low shrubs.

• South Andean deer(Hippocamelus bisulcus)

The animal has a stocky build and short legs, adapted to moving through mountainous landscapes. The size of a deer is 1.4-1.6 m in length, weight reaches 70-80 kg. The height at the withers is 80-90 cm. The deer's coat is brownish or gray-brown in color with white spots on the throat.

Deer live in the mountains of Chile and Argentina, where they live alone, gathering in small groups during the rut. Due to a sharp decline in the population, this species of deer is listed in the International Red Book.

The spring and summer diet of the deer consists of a variety of herbaceous meadow vegetation. In winter and during snowfalls, they find food in wooded valleys. Here, the deer's food consists of leaves and young branches of shrubs and trees.

• Dappled deer(Cervus nippon)

It grows in length up to 1.6-1.8 m with a weight of 75-130 kg. The size at the withers is 95-112 cm. The summer color of the deer is distinguished by a bright red-red color with white spotting, in winter the color fades.

Spotted deer eat not only mushrooms, nuts, leaves, and oak or alder shoots, but also a variety of herbs and berries. In winter, they find fallen leaves, last year's grass and acorns under the snow. In famine years, the spotted deer feeds on the bark of deciduous trees. Individuals living near the sea coast are happy to eat algae thrown ashore and restore the mineral balance of the body with the help of sea salt.

Spotted deer lead a herd life, gathering in small groups of 10-20 individuals. The distribution area of ​​​​this species captures the plains, mountainous and foothill regions of the northern hemisphere. The spotted deer lives in the Far East, in central Russia and in the Caucasus.

Imagine that the ship is on the high seas. It is surrounded on all sides only by sky and water; no shore or island is visible around. Swim wherever you want! when there were no Earth satellites or radio communications? If the captain of a ship does not know how to make astronomical observations, he will not be able to determine the position of his ship. There is only one way out - to surrender "to the will of the waves." But in this case, the ship is doomed to almost certain death.

Parallels and meridians

The entire surface of the globe is covered with a series of imaginary mutually perpendicular lines, which are called parallels and meridians, and their combination makes up the so-called degree grid. The line that is formed by a section of the globe by a plane passing through the center of the Earth perpendicular to the axis of its rotation is called equator. The equator is equally distant from both the South and North Poles. longitude called the distance in degrees from some "zero" meridian to the west (western longitude) and to the east (eastern longitude). Longitude is measured from 0 to 180 degrees along the earth's equator. latitude called the distance in degrees from the equator to some point lying either between the North Pole and the equator (North latitude), or between the South Pole and the Equator (South latitude). Latitude is measured from 0 to 90 degrees. The introduction of the concept of longitude and latitude is of great importance: it made it possible to mark, to fix the location of one or another distant expedition in little-known areas of the earth's surface, or to determine the location of a ship on the high seas. Latitude and longitude at the same time serve as the basis of any geographical map. The longitude and latitude of any place are determined by astronomical observations. Safe navigation in the open seas and oceans was based on these observations.

Nautical mile

The coordinates of the location of the ship on the high seas were determined only by astronomical observations. From here the value is taken nautical mile- the basic unit of measurement for the distances traveled by a ship. A nautical mile corresponds to a change in the position of any luminary by exactly one minute of arc. For clarity, let's imagine that the Sun is in the meridian and it is observed from two ships. If, in this case, the difference in the heights of the Sun is one minute of arc, then, consequently, the distance between these ships will be equal to one nautical mile.

Nautical Science

The lack of precise knowledge about the movement of celestial bodies and the inability to make astronomical observations have long served as a huge obstacle to the development of navigation. Thus, there was an urgent need to improve navigation science and nautical astronomy. The English Parliament in 1714 awarded a prize of 20,000 pounds to anyone who would offer a method for determining the longitude of a place at sea, even with an accuracy of half a degree. Many people have been working on this issue for decades. It was tempting to become the author of such an important invention, it was no less tempting to be entitled to such a solid prize. More than half a century has passed, and the task set by the Parliament has not yet been solved.

Method for determining longitude

Finally, in 1770 the watchmaker Arnold proposed to Parliament longitude method In the open sea. This method was based on the transportation of chronometers. The first chronometers suitable for this purpose were built Harrison back in 1744. This method was as follows. Going to sea from some port, the longitude of which is known, they use a correctly running chronometer, which shows the time of the starting point. While on the high seas, travelers determined the local time by observing the heavenly bodies. From the comparison of local time with the reading of the chronometer, the time difference was found. This time difference is the difference between the longitudes of the starting point and the point of location. Using this method, in 1843, the longitude of the Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory was determined with great accuracy (up to a hundredth of a second).

The position of a point on the earth's surface

So, the position of a point on the earth's surface determined by longitude and latitude. The magnitude of the meridian arc from the earth's equator to a given location determines its latitude. The magnitude of the arc of the equator from the zero (main) meridian to the meridian of a given place determines its longitude. The main, or zero, meridian is considered to be the one that passes through the famous Greenwich Astronomical Observatory, located in England, not far from London. To determine the longitude of any point on Earth, it is enough to know the clock readings at that place and at Greenwich at the same moment.. This is based on the fact that the difference in the readings of clocks at the same moment in any two places is equal to the difference in the longitudes of these places. The whole circle, as we know, is 360 degrees, which corresponds to 24 hours; One hour corresponds to 15 degrees, and one minute of time corresponds to 1/4 degree, or 15 minutes of arc. So, for example, the difference between clock readings for the same time in Leningrad and Greenwich is 2 hours and 1 minute. Therefore, Leningrad is 30 degrees and 15 minutes east of Greenwich. Or, as they say, Leningrad has 30 degrees and 15 minutes of east longitude. Latitude is the arc of a meridian from the earth's equator to a specific location. Or, in other words, the latitude of a point on the earth's surface is equal to the angular height of the pole above the horizon. Therefore, to determine the latitude of the location of the ship in the sea, a series of astronomical observations were carried out. These observations were usually made with a goniometric instrument called sextant. During the day, with the help of this instrument, the height is measured, and at night the height of the Moon, Polaris or some other star. In connection with the invention of radio, determining longitude at sea is much easier.

International Time Commission

A special International Time Commission, which conditionally divided the entire globe into nine zones. A special scheme has been developed, obligatory for all countries of the world, for the transmission of accurate, so-called rhythmic, time signals based on observations of stars. Rhythmic time signals were transmitted several times a day by radio from nine of the most powerful radio stations at various hours of Greenwich time. The most famous of these radio stations were AyRugby in England and the Comintern station in Moscow. Therefore, at whatever point on the globe the ship was, with the help of radio, at least from one of the nine stations, it received a signal of the exact time and, consequently, knew the clock reading for the main meridian at the given moment. Then, with the help of astronomical observations, the exact local time was determined and, by the difference of these two times, the longitude of the ship's location.

On the movement of continents

famous geologist Wegener once suggested that continents several are moving. This movement, in his opinion, is so significant that it can be detected with the help of astronomical observations in a relatively short time. From this it followed that the longitude of the place also changes, and this change can be noticed over a relatively short period of time. The assumption made by Wegener aroused great interest among specialists. A commission of representatives of the International Astronomical and International Geodetic Unions has developed a project for determining world longitudes by radio every few years. For the first time this determination of longitudes was carried out in 1926. Three groups of observatories were chosen as the peaks of the main polygon. The first group - in Algeria (Africa), Zi-Ka-Wei (China) and San Diego (California); the second group - in Greenwich, Tokyo, Vancouver and Ottawa (Canada); the third group - Manilla (Philippines), Honolulu (Sandwich Islands), San Diego and Washington. These observatories had a connection with a number of observatories working on the service of time. At the same time, longitudinal observations were carried out by many observatories and temporary stations. The work was carried out successfully. Radio signals were received over great distances. So, for example, radio signals from Bordeaux (France) stations were received in America and Australia. Longitudes were determined with exceptionally high accuracy, and the error of closing the main polygon did not exceed 0.007 seconds. In 1933, this enterprise was repeated on an even grander scale, and the technical level of the work carried out was even higher than in 1926. As a result, it turned out that the assumption made by Wegener was not fully confirmed. If there is a secular displacement of America relative to Europe, then its magnitude, in any case, cannot exceed three centimeters per year. It is interesting, however, to note that from a comparison of the reception of time signals systematically carried out by the observatories of Europe and America, a noticeable (about 18 meters) fluctuation in longitude with a period of about 11 years, almost coinciding with the period of sunspots, was found.

There are many different coordinate systems. All of them are used to determine the position of points on the earth's surface. This includes mainly geographic coordinates, flat rectangular and polar coordinates. In general, it is customary to call coordinates angular and linear quantities that define points on a surface or in space.

Geographic coordinates are angular values ​​- latitude and longitude, which determine the position of a point on the globe. Geographic latitude is the angle formed by the plane of the equator and a plumb line at a given point on the earth's surface. This angle value shows how far a particular point on the globe is north or south of the equator.

If the point is located in the Northern Hemisphere, then its geographical latitude will be called northern, and if in the Southern Hemisphere - southern latitude. The latitude of points located on the equator is zero degrees, and at the poles (North and South) - 90 degrees.

Geographic longitude is also an angle, but formed by the plane of the meridian, taken as the initial (zero), and the plane of the meridian passing through the given point. For the uniformity of the definition, it was agreed to consider the meridian passing through the astronomical observatory in Greenwich (near London) as the initial meridian and call it Greenwich.

All points located to the east from it will have eastern longitude (up to the meridian of 180 degrees), and to the west of the initial one - western longitude. The figure below shows how to determine the position of point A on the earth's surface if its geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) are known.

Note that the difference in longitudes of two points on Earth shows not only their relative position with respect to the zero meridian, but also the difference in these points at the same moment. The fact is that every 15 degrees (24th part of the circle) in longitude is equal to one hour of time. Based on this, it is possible to determine the difference in time at these two points by geographical longitude.

For example.

Moscow has a longitude of 37°37′ (East), and Khabarovsk -135°05′, that is, lies to the east of 97°28′. What time do these cities have at the same moment? Simple calculations show that if it is 13:00 in Moscow, then it is 19:30 in Khabarovsk.

The figure below shows the design of the sheet frame of any map. As can be seen from the figure, in the corners of this map, the longitude of the meridians and the latitude of the parallels that form the frame of the sheet of this map are signed.

On all sides, the frame has scales divided into minutes. For both latitude and longitude. Moreover, each minute is divided by dots into 6 equal sections, which correspond to 10 seconds of longitude or latitude.

Thus, in order to determine the latitude of any point M on the map, it is necessary to draw a line through this point parallel to the lower or upper frame of the map, and read the corresponding degrees, minutes, seconds on the latitude scale to the right or left. In our example, point M has a latitude of 45°31’30”.

Similarly, drawing a vertical line through the point M parallel to the lateral (closest to this point) meridian of the border of this sheet of the map, we read the longitude (east) equal to 43 ° 31'18 ".

Drawing a point on a topographic map according to given geographical coordinates.

Drawing a point on the map according to the given geographical coordinates is carried out in the reverse order. First, the indicated geographical coordinates are found on the scales, and then parallel and perpendicular lines are drawn through them. Intersecting them on will show the point with the given geographic coordinates.

Based on the book "The map and the compass are my friends."
Klimenko A.I.

Sometimes you may need to accurately calculate the geographical coordinates of your location or some object, but you don’t have anything with you except a map. Learning how to determine latitude and longitude on a map is not difficult, you just need to get a clear understanding of what a coordinate system is and how to work with it.

The coordinate system is a kind of geographical "registration" that any point on the planet has. To determine the latitude and longitude of the desired object on the map, a grid of meridians and parallels applied over the canvas of any image of the area helps. Let's see how it can be used to find a geographic location.

What is a coordinate system

A system that reads the coordinates of any point, people came up with a long time ago. This system consists of parallels representing latitude and meridians representing longitude.

Since it was difficult to determine latitude and longitude by eye, a grid of longitudinal and transverse arcs, indicated by numbers, began to be applied over all types of geographical images.

What does latitude mean

The number responsible for the latitude of a place on the map indicates its distance relative to the equator - the farther the point is from it and closer to the pole, the more its digital value increases.

• On flat images, as well as on globes, spherical lines drawn horizontally and parallel to the equator - parallels - are responsible for latitude.
• At the equator, there is a zero parallel, towards the poles, the value in numbers increases.
• Parallel arcs are indicated in degrees, minutes, seconds, as angular measurements.
• From the equator towards the North Pole, the value will have positive values ​​​​from 0º to 90º, denoted by the symbols "N", that is, "Northern latitude".
• And from the equator towards the south - negative, from 0º to -90º, denoted by the symbols "south", that is, "southern latitude".
• The values ​​90º and -90º are at the peak of the poles.
• Latitudes close to the equator are called "low", and those close to the poles are called "high".

To determine the location relative to the equator of the required object, you just need to correlate its point with the nearest parallel, and then see what number is opposite it to the left and right behind the map field.

• If the point is located between the lines, you must first determine the nearest parallel.
• If it is north of the desired point, then the coordinate of the point will be smaller, so from the nearest horizontal arc, you need to subtract the difference in degrees to the object.
• If the nearest parallel is lower than the desired point, then the difference in degrees is added to its value, since the desired point will have a larger value.

Since it is sometimes difficult to determine the latitude and longitude on the map at a glance, they use a ruler with a pencil or a compass.

Remember! All points of the globe, and accordingly - on a map or globe, located along one parallel arc, will have the same value in degrees.

What does longitude mean

Meridians are responsible for longitude - vertical spherical arcs converging at the poles to one point, dividing the globe into 2 hemispheres - western or eastern, which we are used to seeing on the map in the form of two circles.

• Meridians similarly make it easy to determine the exact latitude and longitude of any point on earth, since the place where they intersect with each of the parallels is easily indicated by a digital mark.
• The value of vertical arcs is also measured in angular degrees, minutes, seconds, ranging from 0º to 180º.
• Starting from 1884, it was decided to take the Greenwich meridian as a zero mark.
• All values ​​of coordinates in the direction of the west from Greenwich are denoted by the symbol "west longitude", that is, "west longitude".
• All values ​​in the direction east of Greenwich are indicated by the symbol "E", that is, "East longitude".
• All points located along the same arc of the meridian will have the same designation in degrees.

Remember! To calculate the value of longitude, you need to correlate the location of the desired object with the digital designation of the nearest meridian, which is placed outside the image fields above and below.

How to find the coordinates of the desired point

Often the question arises of how to determine the latitude and longitude on the map, if the desired point, remote from the coordinate grid, is inside the square.

The calculation of coordinates is also difficult when the image of the area has a huge scale, but there is no more detailed one with you.

• Here you can’t do without special calculations - you need a ruler with a pencil or a compass.
• First, the nearest parallel and meridian are determined.
• Their digital designation is fixed, then the step.
• Further, from each of the arcs, the distance is measured in millimeters, then converted to kilometers using a scale.
• All this corresponds to the step of the parallels, as well as the step of the meridians plotted on a certain scale.
• There are images with different steps - 15º, 10º, and there are less than 4º, it directly depends on the scale.
• Having learned the distance between the nearest arcs, also the value in degrees, you need to calculate the difference by how many degrees the given point deviates from the coordinate grid.
• Parallel - if the object is in the northern hemisphere, then we add the difference obtained to the smaller number, subtract from the larger one, for the southern one this rule works similarly, only we carry out calculations, as with positive numbers, but the final figure will be negative.
• Meridian - the position of a given point in the eastern or western hemisphere does not affect the calculations, we add our calculations to the smaller value of the parallel, subtract from the larger one.

It is also easy to calculate the geographic location with a compass - to get the value of the parallel, you need to put its ends on the point of the desired object and the nearest horizontal arc, and then transfer the spreader of the compass to the scale of the existing map. And to find out the value of the meridian, repeat all this with the nearest vertical arc.

Dear Android smartphone users!

Sometimes a situation arises when you are in an unfamiliar place and do not know exactly where. For example, you are lost in the woods or in an unfamiliar area of ​​a big city, and you need the help of a friend to find you. Or you may just be in a trendy resort and decide to brag to a friend by letting them know where you are. But you never know what other cases are when you need to quickly determine your coordinates on the ground and tell them to someone.

Just here you have to remember that in your pocket you have a lifesaver in the form of your favorite smartphone on the Android OS. And it provides excellent opportunities for solving the above problem, because, as a rule, it is equipped with a system for determining coordinates from the satellites of the global positioning system GPS and sometimes also GLONASS.

Consider several ways, one easier than the other. However, there are many more, no less complex.

1. Yandex Maps

If you don't have this app installed, please install . A very useful app. Further, in the situation described above, the sequence of actions is as follows.

Open the application Yandex maps. It (with the GPS module enabled in advance in the settings) automatically detects your location and displays a label in the middle of the map. You wait until the circle around the mark, showing the accuracy of determining the location, narrows or disappears altogether, and the round mark turns into a compass arrow.

Click on this label, its name appears. Click on it again and you get another screen.

If you select SMS, then the text with the coordinates has already been entered in the SMS, all that remains is to add the recipient and send. And if you choose More..., then a lot of additional opportunities will open up for sending coordinates, including through known messengers (skype,viber,whatsapp) and even social media.

And a friend or friends will see your message by clicking on the link, open a map with your location and contact you. And if necessary, they will find you. Only in the latter case, do not run through the forest and do not change coordinates.

2. GPS Test

This application is designed to check the functionality of the GSM module, determine the coordinates, altitude, heading, speed and other parameters. I reviewed it earlier in this article.

But it's also easy to share your current location with a friend. To do this, use the left soft key to open Menu, find the point share and then you get a screen similar to the screen already given a little above with a lot of opportunities for transmitting information about coordinates.

3. Whatsapp and Viber messengers

If you have one of these wonderful messengers installed, then the matter is quite simple. Because in them built-in transmission in a chat with a friend not only pictures, photos, videos or contacts, but also voice messages and, especially for our case - location information. And the latter is done literally in three clicks.

For example, in the case whatsapp , in a chat with the desired addressee, press paperclip at the top of the screen(in Viber- plus sign below), select Location, the program detects it and displays the map. Next click Submit your location. And that's it!

Good luck to you, until we meet again on the pages of the site.

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