There are many ways to reliably embarrass yourself in life. One of them is to reveal your lack of knowledge of the whereabouts of continents, oceans, nations and cities. Of course, one of the easiest ways to commit locations to memory is to visit them, even briefly, so you can associate unique sights and other sensory experiences (even emotion) to a point on a map.
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE: GEOGRAPHY
Latitude lines/parallels: Imaginary lines running horizontally around the globe. They are measured in degrees, with the equator at 0° latitude, the north pole at 90° north and the south pole at 90° south.
Longitude lines/meridians: Imaginary lines running vertically around the globe. These meet at both poles. They are measured in degrees, with the prime meridian at 0° longitude (at Earth’s axis), and the farthest extensions at 180° east and 180° west.
Geographic coordinates: The two-number combination that gives a location’s latitude and longitude
Hemisphere: One half of the Earth’s surface, as divided by either the equator or by the Prime Meridian. There are four of these: the Northern and Southern hemispheres, divided by the equator (0° latitude); and the Eastern and Western hemispheres, divided by the prime meridian (0° longitude) and the International Date Line (180°).
Equator: The imaginary line around the center of the earth that we measure as zero degrees latitude. The Sun is directly overhead it at noon on the two equinoxes (March and Sept. 20 or 21). It divides the globe into the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and it appears halfway between the North and South poles, at the widest circumference of the globe. It is 24,901.55 miles (40,075.16 km) long.
Prime Meridian: The imaginary line down the center of the earth that we measure as zero degrees longitude (0°). It runs through the Royal Greenwich Observatory in Greenwich, England and divides the globe into the Western and Eastern hemispheres. The Earth’s time zones are measured from it.
International Date Line: The imaginary line located at approximately 180° longitude that, by convention, marks the end of one calendar day and the beginning of the next. It bends around countries to avoid date- and time-related confusion.
Tropic of Cancer: The imaginary line located at 23°30′ north of the equator. The sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer on the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere around June 21. It marks the northernmost point of the tropics, which falls between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Tropic of Capricorn: The imaginary line located at 23°30′ south. The Sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn on the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere around December 21. It marks the southernmost point of the tropics.
Arctic Circle: A line of latitude located at 66°30′ north, delineating the Northern Frigid Zone of the Earth.
Antarctic Circle: A line of latitude located at 66°30′ south, delineating the Southern Frigid Zone of the Earth.
Map projections: Distorted representations of the relative locations on Earth that allow for two-dimensional map making.
Mercator projection: The most famous map projection, which shows the far northern and southern areas of Earth as much larger than they are
Pangea: The most recent single, unified supercontinent to have preceded the current continental forms on the earth
The six main types of landforms: Mountains, hills, valleys, plateaus, plains, deserts. Islands, peninsulas, canyons, and deltas are also sometimes considered separate types of landforms, and there are many variations of all of these.
The seven continents: In order of size: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australasia/Oceania. Note that some people consider Asia and Europe as one continent that they refer to as Eurasia. Also note that the Middle East is considered part of Asia and is sometimes referred to as Asia Minor.
The five oceans: The Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern, and Arctic oceans
The Mediterranean Sea: The large body of water that lies between Europe, Africa and Asia and is mostly enclosed by land
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers: The river system that borders Mesopotamia and is surrounded by the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East
The Fertile Crescent: The part of the Middle East that surrounds the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and is the birthplace of farming and civilization
The Caspian Sea: The world’s largest inland body of water, located between Europe and Asia, with historical trading and political significance
The Nile River: The deep, gentle river in Africa that connects with the Mediterranean Sea. It is known for its predictable patterns and surrounding deserts. Its independent biosphere causes predictable flood patterns so that early civilizations did not need irrigation systems.
The Yellow River: The river in China on which Chinese civilization first sprang up
The Yangtze River: The longest river in Asia and the third-longest in the world to flow entirely within one country
The Gulf of Mexico: A basin of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by Mexico and the Gulf Coast of the U.S.
The Missouri River: The longest river in North America and a tributary of the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River: The second-longest river in North America
The Great Lakes: A collection of lakes on the border of the U.S. and Canada that include: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario
Mount Everest: The highest mountain in the world, which is located on the borders of Nepal and Tibet
K2: The second-highest mountain in the world, which is located on the borders of Pakistan and China
Mount Kilimanjaro: The highest mountain in Africa
Mount Denali: The highest mountain in North America and the mountain formerly known as Mount McKinley
The Andes: The longest continental mountain range in the world, located along the western edge of South America
The Alps: The highest mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe
The Ural Mountains: The mountain range that lies along the western border of Russia that is the natural boundary between Europe and Asia
The Rocky Mountains: The largest mountain range in North America, which lies north to south in the western part of the U.S.
The Appalachian Mountains: The second largest mountain range that lies entirely in North America, which lies north to south in the eastern part of the U.S.
The Gobi Desert: A large desert located in Mongolia and China
The Mojave Desert: A large desert located in the southwestern United States
The Antarctic Desert: The snow and ice desert that makes up the continent of Antarctica and that is considered the largest desert in the world
The Arctic: The region located on and around the North Pole, including the Arctic Ocean and several nearby countries
The Arabian Desert: A large desert located in the Middle East
The Sahara Desert: The desert located in northern Africa that expands and contracts regularly. In prehistoric times, it shrank enough to allow humans to migrate out of Africa. In ancient times, it became increasingly dry, preventing communication between Northern and Southern Africans. Egyptians in the North had much more contact with Middle Easterners and Europeans than they did with Africans south of the Sahara.
Sub-saharan Africa: The area of Africa located south of the Sahara Desert which, during its early history, evolved separately and cut off from northern Africa and Eurasia
The Horn of Africa: The easternmost part of the African mainland
The Gold Coast: The region on the coast of West Africa that includes modern-day Ghana, parts of Togo and parts of the Ivory Coast that got this name during colonial times due to their gold supplies
Oceania: The area of the world that encompasses Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia in the Pacific Ocean
Polynesia: The islands of the central and southern Pacific, including Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, the Cook Islands and more
Melanesia: The islands of the western Pacific, including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia
Micronesia: The islands of the western Pacific, including the Marshall Islands, Palau, Guam, and the Federated States of Micronesia
The United Kingdom: The country that includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
Great Britain: The landmass that includes England, Scotland, and Wales, but not Northern Ireland
England: The largest and most populous country within the United Kingdom, with London as its capital
Ireland: The separate country on the island of Ireland that is not part of the United Kingdom
The five climate zones of Earth: Arctic and antarctic (in the far north and south); north temperate and south temperate; and tropical (the middle of Earth on both sides of the equator)
The four U.S. mainland time zones: Pacific Time (PT: UTC-8); Mountain Time (MT: UTC-7); Central Time (CT: UTC-6); and Eastern Time (ET: UTC-5). Other time zones are used in Alaska, Hawaii and elsewhere. During daylight saving time, some of these time zones shift one hour. When daylight savings time is not being observed, “standard” is added, so that PT, MT, CT and ET become PST, MST, CST and EST. When daylight savings time is being observed, the same abbreviations become PDT, MDT, CDT and EDT.
The five regions of the U.S.: The West Coast/West, the Southwest, the Midwest, the Southeast and the East Coast/Northeast
The current number of countries in the world: Almost 200
The current population of the world: Approximately eight billion
The largest country in the world by area: Russian Federation
The smallest country in the world by area and population: Vatican City
The country with the highest life expectancy in the world: Japan
The country with the highest gross national product (GNP) in the world: The United States
The three most populous nations in the world: China, India and the United States
The five most populous cities in the world: Tokyo, Japan; Delhi, India; Shanghai, China; São Paulo, Brazil; and Mumbai, India. New York, U.S.; Seoul, South Korea; and Mexico City, Mexico are close to the top of the list.
Capital of Alabama: Montgomery
Capital of Alaska: Juneau
Capital of Arizona: Phoenix
Capital of Arkansas: Little Rock
Capital of California: Sacramento
Capital of Colorado: Denver
Capital of Connecticut: Hartford
Capital of Delaware: Dover
Capital of Florida: Tallahassee
Capital of Georgia: Atlanta
Capital of Hawaii: Honolulu
Capital of Idaho: Boise
Capital of Illinois: Springfield
Capital of Indiana: Indianapolis
Capital of Iowa: Des Moines
Capital of Kansas: Topeka
Capital of Kentucky: Frankfort
Capital of Louisiana: Baton Rouge
Capital of Maine: Augusta
Capital of Maryland: Annapolis
Capital of Massachusetts: Boston
Capital of Michigan: Lansing
Capital of Minnesota: St. Paul
Capital of Mississippi: Jackson
Capital of Missouri: Jefferson City
Capital of Montana: Helena
Capital of Nebraska: Lincoln
Capital of Nevada: Carson City
Capital of New Hampshire: Concord
Capital of New Jersey: Trenton
Capital of New Mexico: Santa Fe
Capital of New York: Albany
Capital of North Carolina: Raleigh
Capital of North Dakota: Bismarck
Capital of Ohio: Columbus
Capital of Oklahoma: Oklahoma City
Capital of Oregon: Salem
Capital of Pennsylvania: Harrisburg
Capital of Rhode Island: Providence
Capital of South Carolina: Columbia
Capital of South Dakota: Pierre
Capital of Tennessee: Nashville
Capital of Texas: Austin
Capital of Utah: Salt Lake City
Capital of Vermont: Montpelier
Capital of Virginia: Richmond
Capital of Washington: Olympia
Capital of West Virginia: Charleston
Capital of Wisconsin: Madison
Capital of Wyoming: Cheyenne
Capital of the United States: Washington D.C.
Capital of Canada: Ottawa
Capital of Mexico: Mexico City
Capital of Russia: Moscow
Capital of Australia: Canberra
Capital of South Africa: Cape Town
Capital of Egypt: Cairo
Capital of Uganda: Kampala
Capital of Kenya: Nairobi
Capital of United Kingdom: London
Capital of Spain: Madrid
Capital of France: Paris
Capital of Italy: Rome
Capital of Germany: Berlin
Capital of Northern Ireland: Belfast
Capital of Denmark: Copenhagen
Capital of Ireland: Dublin
Capital of Scotland: Edinburgh
Capital of Finland: Helsinki
Capital of Norway: Oslo
Capital of Sweden: Stockholm
Capital of the Netherlands: Amsterdam
Capital of Austria: Vienna
Capital of Greece: Athens
Capital of Poland: Warsaw
Capital of Turkey: Ankara
Capital of Czech Republic: Prague
Capital of Serbia: Belgrade
Capital of Slovakia: Bratislava
Capital of Romania: Bucharest
Capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo
Capital of Hungary: Budapest
Capital of Iraq: Baghdad
Capital of Palestine: Jerusalem
Capital of Afghanistan: Kabul
Capital of Peru: Lima
Capital of Chile: Santiago
Capital of Colombia: Bogota
Capital of Argentina: Buenos Aires
Capital of Venezuela: Caracas
Capital of Guatemala: Guatemala City
Capital of Panama: Panama City
Capital of China: Beijing
Capital of Japan: Tokyo
Capital of India: New Delhi
Capital of South Korea: Seoul
Capital of Taiwan: Taipei
Capital of Thailand: Bangkok
Capital of Philippines: Manila
Capital of Singapore: Singapore
Capital of Indonesia: Jakarta
Capital of Vietnam: Hanoi
Capital of Nepal: Kathmandu
Capital of Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur
Capital of Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar
State in which Chicago is located: Illinois
State in which Boston is located: Massachusetts
State in which Philadelphia is located: Pennsylvania
State in which New York is located: New York
State in which San Francisco is located: California
State in which Los Angeles is located: California
Country in which Toronto is located: Canada
Country in which Montreal is located: Canada
Country in which Vancouver is located: Canada
Country in which Sydney is located: Australia
Country in which Melbourne is located: Australia
Country in which Auckland is located: New Zealand
Country in which Berlin is located: Germany
Country in which Brussels is located: Belgium
Country in which Amsterdam is located: Netherlands
Country in which Zurich is located: Switzerland
Country in which Copenhagen is located: Denmark
Country in which Milan is located: Italy
Country in which Manchester is located: United Kingdom (UK)
Country in which Vienna is located: Austria
Country in which Warsaw is located: Poland
Country in which Barcelona is located: Spain
Country in which Lisbon is located: Portugal
Country in which Johannesburg is located: South Africa
Country in which Mogadishu is located: Somalia
Country in which Sao Paulo is located: Brazil
Country in which Rio de Janeiro is located: Brazil
Country in which St. Petersburg is located: Russia
Country in which Prague is located: Czech Republic
Country in which Minsk is located: Belarus
Country in which Istanbul is located: Turkey
Country in which Tel Aviv is located: Israel
Country in which Dubai is located: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Country in which Abu Dhabi is located: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Country in which Shanghai is located: China
Country in which Hong Kong is located: China
Country in which Singapore is located: Singapore
Country in which Ho Chi Minh City is located: Vietnam
Country in which Phnom Penh is located: Cambodia
Country in which Jakarta is located: Indonesia
Country in which Bangkok is located: Thailand
Abbreviation of Alabama: AL
Abbreviation of Alaska: AK
Abbreviation of Arizona: AZ
Abbreviation of Arkansas: AR
Abbreviation of California: CA
Abbreviation of Colorado: CO
Abbreviation of Connecticut: CT
Abbreviation of Delaware: DE
Abbreviation of Florida: FL
Abbreviation of Georgia: GA
Abbreviation of Hawaii: HI
Abbreviation of Idaho: ID
Abbreviation of Illinois: IL
Abbreviation of Indiana: IN
Abbreviation of Iowa: IA
Abbreviation of Kansas: KS
Abbreviation of Kentucky: KY
Abbreviation of Louisiana: LA
Abbreviation of Maine: ME
Abbreviation of Maryland: MD
Abbreviation of Massachusetts: MA
Abbreviation of Michigan: MI
Abbreviation of Minnesota: MN
Abbreviation of Mississippi: MS
Abbreviation of Missouri: MO
Abbreviation of Montana: MT
Abbreviation of Nebraska: NE
Abbreviation of Nevada: NV
Abbreviation of New Hampshire: NH
Abbreviation of New Jersey: NJ
Abbreviation of New Mexico: NM
Abbreviation of New York: NY
Abbreviation of North Carolina: NC
Abbreviation of North Dakota: ND
Abbreviation of Ohio: OH
Abbreviation of Oklahoma: OK
Abbreviation of Oregon: OR
Abbreviation of Pennsylvania: PA
Abbreviation of Rhode Island: RI
Abbreviation of South Carolina: SC
Abbreviation of South Dakota: SD
Abbreviation of Tennessee: TN
Abbreviation of Texas: TX
Abbreviation of Utah: UT
Abbreviation of Vermont: VT
Abbreviation of Virginia: VA
Abbreviation of Washington: WA
Abbreviation of West Virginia: WV
Abbreviation of Wisconsin: WI
Abbreviation of Wyoming: WY
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