Latitude (shown as a horizontal line) is the angular distance, in degrees, minutes and seconds, of a point north or south of the Equator. The lines of latitude are often referred to as parallels.

Longitude (shown as a vertical line) is the angular distance, in degrees, minutes and seconds, of a point east or west of the Prime (Greenwich) Meridian. Lines of longitude are often referred to as meridians.

Line spacing

If you divide the circumference of the earth (approximately 25,000 miles) by 360 degrees, the distance on the earth's surface for each degree of latitude or longitude is just over 69 miles or 111 km. Note: As you move north or south of the equator, the distance between lines of longitude gets shorter until they actually meet at the poles. At 45 degrees N or S of the equator, one degree of longitude is approximately 49 miles.

Minutes and seconds

For precision purposes, the degrees of longitude and latitude have been divided into minutes ("") and seconds ("). Each degree has 60 minutes. Each minute is divided into 60 seconds. Seconds can be further subdivided into tenths, hundredths, or even thousandths. For example, our office in Galveston Island, Texas, USA is located 29 degrees, 16 minutes, and 22 seconds north of the equator and 94 degrees, 49 minutes, 46 seconds west of the Prime Meridian.

For example, our office in Galveston Island, Texas, USA is located 29 degrees, 16 minutes, and 22 seconds north of the equator and 94 degrees, 49 minutes, 46 seconds west of the Prime Meridian.

Relative Locations

Relative The location of a city or destination on the planet is its relationship to another place or nearby landmarks.

As an example, our US office is located on Galveston Island, located in southeast Texas in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 48 miles southeast of Houston. This is our relative location.

Absolute Locations

Absolute Location is the categorical location of a place using a recognized coordinate system. In terms of latitude and longitude, our Galveston, Texas office is 29°16" North, 94°49" West marked with a red dot on the map above To find the absolute location of any destination use the resources shown above for relative location of any country, go

They are different in geographical location, size and shape, which affects the features of their nature.

Geographic location and size of the continents

Continents are placed on the surface of the Earth unevenly. In the Northern Hemisphere, they occupy 39% of the surface, and in the Southern - only 19%. For this reason, the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth is called the continental, and the Southern - the oceanic.

According to the position relative to the equator, the continents are divided into a group of southern and a group of northern continents.

Since the continents are located at different latitudes, they receive an unequal amount of light and heat from the Sun. In shaping the nature of the continent, its area plays an important role: the larger the continent, the more territories on it that are remote from the oceans and do not experience their influence. Of great geographical importance is the relative position of the continents.

Geographic location and size of the oceans

The separating continents differ from each other in size, properties of waters, systems of currents, features of the organic world.

And they have a similar geographical position: they stretch from the Arctic Circle to. almost entirely in the southern hemisphere. A special geographical position at - it is located around the North Pole within the Arctic Circle, covered with sea ice and isolated from other oceans.

The border of the continents with the oceans runs along the coastline. It can be straight or indented, that is, having many protrusions. The rugged coastlines have many seas and bays. Going deep into the land, they have a significant impact on the nature of the continents.

Interaction between continents and oceans

Land and water have different properties, while they are constantly in close interaction. The oceans strongly influence the natural processes on the continents, but the continents also take part in the formation of the nature of the oceans.

Physical map of the world allows you to see the relief of the earth's surface and the location of the main continents. A physical map gives a general idea of ​​the location of the seas, oceans, complex terrain and elevation changes in various parts of the planet. On the physical map of the world, you can clearly see the mountains, plains and systems of ridges and highlands. Physical maps of the world are widely used in schools in the study of geography, as it is the basis for understanding the main natural features of various parts of the world.

Physical map of the world in Russian - relief

PHYSICAL WORLD MAP displays the surface of the Earth. The space of the earth's surface contains all the natural resources and wealth of mankind. The configuration of the earth's surface predetermines the entire course of human history. Change the boundaries of the continents, stretch the direction of the main mountain ranges in a different way, change the direction of the rivers, remove this or that strait or bay, and the whole history of mankind will become different.

“What is the surface of the Earth? The concept of surface has the same meaning as the concept of geographic shell and the concept of biosphere proposed by geochemists... The earth's surface is voluminous - three-dimensional, and taking the geographical shell of an unambiguous biosphere, we emphasize the paramount importance of living matter for geography. The geographic envelope ends where the living matter ends.

Physical map of the hemispheres of the Earth in Russian

Physical map of the world in English from National Geographic

Physical map of the world in Russian

Good physical map of the world in English

Physical map of the world in Ukrainian

Physical map of the Earth in English

Detailed physical map of the Earth with major currents

Physical world map with state borders - Wikiwand Physical world map with state borders

Map of the geological regions of the earth - Geological map of the world "s regions

Physical map of the world with the ice and clouds - A physical map of the world with the ice and clouds

Physical map of the Earth - Physical map of the Earth

Physical map of the world - A physical map of the world

The great importance of the structure of the continents for the fate of mankind is indisputable. The gulf between the eastern and western hemispheres disappeared only 500 years ago with the travels of the Spaniards and the Portuguese to America. Prior to this, ties between the peoples of both hemispheres existed mainly only in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean.

The deep penetration of the northern continents into the Arctic for a long time made the routes around their northern shores inaccessible. The close convergence of the three main oceans in the area of ​​the three Mediterranean seas created the possibility of their connection with each other naturally (Strait of Malacca) or artificially (Suez Canal, Panama Canal). Mountain chains and location predetermined the movement of peoples. Vast plains led to the unification of people under one state will, strongly dissected spaces contributed to the maintenance of state fragmentation.

The dismemberment of America by rivers, lakes and mountains led to the formation of Indian peoples, who, due to their isolation, could not resist the Europeans. Seas, continents, mountain ranges and rivers form natural boundaries between countries and peoples (F. Fatzel, 1909).