Geography [5 Mark Question Answer]

Latitudes are the horizontal east-west lines. The longest latitudes are the equator (0°). All the other latitudes are parallel to the equator and their length decreases towards the poles. Examples:

1. The Tropic of Cancer, at 2314°, is located north of the equator. It is the northernmost limit to which the direct rays of the sun are received.
2. The Tropic of Capricorn, at 23 V20, is located south of the equator. It is the southernmost limit to which the direct rays of the sun are received.

Colours play a significant role in maps. They make maps attractive to look at and easy to understand and interpret. On physical maps, the different colours are conventionally used in this way:

• Blue: water bodies such as oceans, seas, bays, gulfs, lakes, rivers, streams.
• Green: lowlands or plains, both coastal and those built by rivers.
• Brown: hills, mountains, plateaux.
• Yellow: hot deserts.
• White: cold deserts, snow-covered regions.

The following are the five essential features of a map.

1. Title – It indicates the subject of the map. e.g, the distribution of natural vegetation, water bodies, climate, etc.
2. Scale – It denotes the relationship between map distances and actual ground distances. _
3. Direction – It refers to the cardinal direction, i.e., North, South, East, and West, Conventionally, a map is aligned with the North towards the top.
4. Key or Legend – It explains the meaning of the symbols that are used on the map.
5. The grid system, usually formed by the cross-conjugation of the lines of longitudes and latitudes.