More on maps and how to read them

Today in Human Geo. we learned how to read maps. We learned that they weren't just a tool of use for location, but they were used by geographers to communicate complex phenomena. The lines on the map actually make a grid. It is called the geographic grid and to put it simply it helps determine the time. They are imaginary arcs drawn on the globe in the form of a grid. The lines that go vertically over the globe are called Meridians. They are drawn between North and South pole and they are numbered according to a system known as longitude. Parallels are lines that go vertically across the globe. They are drawn parallel to the equator and they intersect with Meridians at right angles. Each is numbered with a system called latitude. You can give someone the longitude and latitude of a place and then they will know exactly how to get there. If you want to be more precise you can divide each degree in to sixty mins and then into sixty seconds.