Continents

How many continents are there?

Hint: The seven are Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America

What is the largest continent by area?

Hint: It contains China, India, Russia, and more — roughly 60% of the world's population

What is the smallest continent by area?

Hint: It is both a continent and a country — uniquely, one nation covers an entire continent

What is the second-largest continent by area?

Hint: Home to the Sahara Desert, the Nile River, and 54 countries

What imaginary line divides the Earth into Northern and Southern hemispheres?

Hint: It is at 0 degrees latitude — the imaginary line halfway between the North and South Poles

What imaginary line at 0 degrees longitude divides the Earth into Eastern and Western hemispheres?

Hint: It passes through Greenwich, England — all longitude is measured east or west of this line

How many oceans are there?

Hint: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern — the Southern Ocean was recognized by National Geographic in 2021

What is the largest ocean on Earth?

Hint: It covers more area than all land on Earth combined

What region of Oceania includes Hawaii, Samoa, and Tonga?

Hint: The name means 'many islands' in Greek — includes Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and New Zealand

What region of Oceania includes Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands?

Hint: The name means 'black islands' in Greek — includes Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomons

Which world region includes Norway, Sweden, and Denmark?

Hint: It is the northern European region famous for fjords and Nordic languages

Which world region includes Greece, Albania, Serbia, and Bulgaria?

Hint: It is a peninsula region in southeastern Europe

What world region lies south of the Sahara Desert across Africa?

Hint: It is a semi-arid belt between desert and savanna

Which world region includes Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, and Djibouti?

Hint: It juts into the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden

Which world region includes Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia?

Hint: It is the northwest region of Africa along the Mediterranean and Atlantic

Which world region includes Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria?

Hint: It is the eastern Mediterranean region

What grassland region is found mainly in Argentina and Uruguay?

Hint: It is a fertile South American grassland region

Which world region lies in southern Argentina and Chile?

Hint: It is at the southern end of South America

Most maps put north at the top, but how can you tell which way a particular map is actually oriented?

Hint: A map shows its orientation with a symbol, not just by which edge is on top

If north is at the top of a map, which direction is to the right?

Hint: Remember: Never Eat Soggy Waffles

Which intermediate direction lies halfway between south and west?

Hint: Combine south and west

What map feature shows north, south, east, and west?

Hint: It is shaped like a directional marker

If a route moves north, then east, what final intermediate direction describes the overall movement?

Hint: Combine the two directions

If a place has a larger latitude number above the equator, it is generally farther which direction?

Hint: North latitude increases as you move away from the equator

What part of a map explains what symbols and colors mean?

Hint: It unlocks the meaning of the symbols

What does a dashed line often show on a political map?

Hint: Political maps show borders

Which map feature helps estimate real-world distance?

Hint: It compares map length with real distance

If a map symbol is unfamiliar, what should you check first?

Hint: The map explains its own symbols

A map colors one area green and another tan. What tells you what those colors mean?

Hint: Colors are part of the map key

A ship sails from California toward Japan. Which ocean does it cross?

Hint: California and Japan both face the Pacific

Why can no flat map show the whole Earth without some error?

Hint: Earth is a sphere; paper is flat.

On a Mercator map, why does Greenland look nearly as large as Africa?

Hint: Distortion grows toward the top and bottom.

Which kind of projection keeps the true size of land areas?

Hint: Its name describes what it preserves.

A conformal projection like Mercator keeps shapes and angles correct. What does it sacrifice?

Hint: You cannot keep both shape and size.

A pilot wants the shortest path between two far cities. Which projection draws great-circle routes as straight lines?

Hint: Navigators use it to plot the shortest course.

Why might an atlas use a Robinson projection for a world map?

Hint: Compromise maps trade perfection for balance.

Why did sailors value Mercator maps for ocean navigation?

Hint: Think of following one compass bearing.

Which projection family is often chosen for maps centered on the North or South Pole?

Hint: It projects the globe onto a flat plane from one point.

A conic projection is a strong choice for mapping which kind of region?

Hint: Picture a paper cone resting on the globe like a hat — where does it touch?

An interrupted projection such as the Goode homolosine cuts gaps into the oceans. What does this gain?

Hint: The cuts let the land areas lie flatter, like peeling an orange.

Lines of latitude measure how far north or south you are from which line?

Hint: It circles the Earth's middle.

Longitude measures distance east or west of which starting line?

Hint: It runs through Greenwich, England.

About how far apart on the ground is one degree of latitude?

Hint: A little under seventy miles.

Why does one degree of longitude cover less ground near the poles than at the Equator?

Hint: The north-south lines all meet at each pole.

Which city lies closest to the coordinates 40°N, 74°W?

Hint: West longitude, mid-latitude, on a coast.

The International Date Line roughly follows which line of longitude?

Hint: It is halfway around from Greenwich.

In the coordinate pair 34°N, 118°W, which part tells position north or south of the Equator?

Hint: Latitude usually comes first.

What is true of lines of latitude on a globe?

Hint: Latitude circles stay east-west.

The Gall-Peters projection was promoted as a fairer alternative to Mercator maps. What tradeoff does it make to achieve that goal?

Hint: Its goal was to stop poorer, equatorial nations from looking smaller than they really are.

Cartographers say a flat map can preserve at most one or two of area, shape, and distance, but never all three at once for the whole world. Why is this limitation unavoidable?

Hint: This is a mathematical fact about curved surfaces, not a technical limitation.

Two cities sit 45 degrees of longitude apart. Based on how Earth's rotation divides time zones, about how many hours apart are they?

Hint: Earth turns 360 degrees in 24 hours, so figure out degrees per hour first.

Before the 1700s, sailors could measure latitude fairly easily with the stars but struggled badly to find their longitude at sea. What invention finally solved this 'longitude problem'?

Hint: Longitude is really about comparing local time to time back home.

A field notebook records a site as 8 degrees N, 80 degrees W. Which part should a student write as the latitude?

Hint: Latitude is the north-south coordinate, and it is usually written first.

A ship reports its position as 30 degrees E. Which reference line is that eastward distance measured from?

Hint: East and west positions use longitude.

If you travel north and east at the same time, which intermediate direction are you moving?

Hint: Combine north with east

Which direction is opposite west?

Hint: Think of the compass line that runs left and right

A route goes from Mexico toward Canada. Which direction is it mostly traveling?

Hint: Canada is north of Mexico

Which direction lies halfway between south and west?

Hint: Combine south with west

On a city map, a small tree icon most likely marks what kind of place?

Hint: Trees usually mark green spaces

What part of a map explains its symbols?

Hint: It is also called a key

Which map feature helps you estimate real distance?

Hint: It compares map distance to real distance

Which map feature tells what area or subject the map shows?

Hint: It is usually at the top

Which ocean lies between Africa and Australia?

Hint: It borders India and eastern Africa

Which continent is directly south of North America?

Hint: The two continents share the Americas

Which ocean is the largest on Earth?

Hint: It borders Asia, Australia, and the Americas

A route sails from western Africa to eastern South America. Which ocean does it cross?

Hint: This ocean lies between Africa and the Americas