How Any Point is Located

By Carmen Kracl Hood

Purpose:

To identify landforms and locations, plot points and develop and use a scale on the map of an imaginary country.

Background:

A map is a model of the earth's surface. Symbols on a map show the features of the earth's surface as well as towns and cities. You can find the meanings of these symbols in the part of the map called the legend. You can use lines of latitude and longitude to find many of these map features. Lines of latitude measure distance in degrees north and south of the equator. Lines of longitude measure distance in degrees east and west of the prime meridian. You can use a scale for finding the distance between two features or locations on a map.

Materials:

  • map

Procedures and Interpretations:

  1. Study the map and legend in Figure 4-1.
    1. What are the lines of latitude on each of the borders of the main island?
    2. What are the lines of longitude on each of the borders of the main island?
    3. What is located at 4o S and 179o W ?
    4. What is located at 0o and 179o E?
    5. What is located at 177o W and extends between 2o N and 4oN latitude?
    6. What is located between 2o N and 3o N and 178o E and 179oE?
    7. Between what two lines of longitude does the large, central mountain range extend?
    8. At which point does the river split into two branches?
    9. Give the degrees of latitude and longitude of the channel.  
  2. Assume that the distance covered by 1ø of latitude or longitude is 110 km. Measure the distance in centimeters between 179o W and 180o. Then divide 110 km by this Measurement to find out how many kilometers equal 1cm on the map.
    1. What is the scale of your map? 
  3. Use the lines of latitude and longitude on the map provided In Figure 4-1 to plot the locations of the towns and cities listed in Table 4-1. Place a dot on the map where each city Or town is located. Print the first letter of the name of the city or town next to the dot.

    Table 4-1. Locations of Towns and Cities by Degrees of Latitude and Longitude
    Town or City Latitude Longitude
    Neli 5 N 178 W
    Pandang 3 N 177 W
    Sintang 1 S 177.5 W
    Kuala 1S 178 E
    Muna 3 S 179 E
    Bura 1 N 178 W
    Alusi 4 N 179 E
    Tempino 1 N 178 W
    Leti 0 179 W
    Raba 3 N 180
    Gomogomo 4 S 178 W

  4. Make roads on the map by connecting the following towns and Cities with straight dashed lines: 
    • Alusi to Raba
    • Raba to Tempino
    • Raba to Leti
    • Leti to Bura
    • Sintang to Bura
    • Sintang to Gomogomo
    • Muna to Gomogomo
    • Muna to Kuala
    • Kuala to Tempino 
  5. Use the scale you developed in step C to find the following distances (BE SURE TO LABEL YOUR ANSWERS IN KILOMETERS):  
    1. Bura to Gomogomo by road.
    2. Tempino to Gomogomo by air
    3. Muna to Neli by air.
    4. Pandang to Kuala by air.
    5. What is the shortest distance by road you can travel to get From Alusi to Gomogomo? (Measure the distance to the nearest centimeter).
    6. If you had to make a round trip journey by air between Alusi And Gomogomo, what distance would you have to travel.
    7. How do you make use of a legend when reading a map?
    8. How can you use lines of latitude and longitude when reading a map?
    9. For what purpose is a scale of a map used?