Map Vocabulary Glossary worksheet with definitions and a map of North America.

- Absolute: location describes the exact position of something often using latitude and longitude.
- Antarctic: The most southerly major circle of latitude.
- Arctic: The most northerly major circle of latitude.
- Axis: The imaginary line that runs from the north to the south pole and about which the earth rotates.
- Cancer: Tropic of ___: The most northerly circle of latitude at which the sun can be directly overhead.
- Capricorn: Tropic of ___: The most southerly circle of latitude at which the sun can be directly overhead.
- Cardinal: Name for each of the four main points of the compass.
- Compass Rose: A figure that displays the orientation of the Four cardinal directions and their intermediate points.
- Coordinate: A set of values that show the exact position of something.
- Directions: North, south, east and west.
- East: The direction towards the point of the horizon where the sun rises off the equinoxes.
- Equator: An imaginary line on the earth's surface that is equidistant from the north and south poles.
- Globe: A spherical map representing the earth.
- Hemisphere: A half of the earth as divided by the equator.
- Latitude: A measurement of the angular distance from the equator.
- Legend: A table of symbols that appear on a map.
- Location: This can be indicated in either absolute or relative terms.
- Longitude: A measurement of the angular distance from the prime meridian.
- Meridian: An imaginary line on the earth's surface that passes through the north and south poles.
- North: The direction in which a compass needle normally points.
- North Pole: The northernmost point of the axis of the earth's rotation.
- Physical: A ___ map’s primary purpose is to show geographical features.
- Political: A ___ map’s primary purpose is to show governmental boundaries of countries, states, etc. as well as the location of cities.
- Projections: The different systems of transforming the locations on a sphere onto a flat surface.
- Relative: location describes the position of something in relation to something else using cardinal directions.
- Relief: A ___ map shows differences in elevations by shading or texture.
- South: The direction towards the point of the horizon 90° clockwise from east.
- South Pole: The southernmost point of the axis of the earth's rotation.
- Tropic: The parallel of latitude at a distance of 23°26' from the equator.
- West: The direction towards the point of the horizon where the sun sets at the equinoxes.