NCERT Book Class 6 Social Science (Geography) Chapter 2 Globe : Latitudes and Longitudes

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GLOBE : LATITUDES AND LONGITUDES

In the previous chapter, you have read that our planet
earth is not a sphere. It is slightly flattened at the
North and the South Poles and bulge in the middle.
Can you imagine how it looks? You may look at a
globe carefully in your classroom to get an idea.
Globe is a true model (miniature form) of the earth
(Figure 2.1).
Globes may be of varying size and type – big ones,
which cannot be carried easily, small pocket globes,
and globe-like balloons, which can be inflated and are
handy and carried with ease. The globe is not fixed. It
can be rotated the same way as a top spin or a potter’s
wheel is rotated. On the globe, countries, continents
Figure 2.1 : Globe and oceans are shown in their correct size.
It is difficult to describe the location of a point on a
sphere like the earth. Now the question arises as to
how to locate a place on it? We need certain points of
reference and lines to find out the location of places.
Let’s Do You will notice that a needle is fixed through the
Take a big round globe in a tilted manner, which is called its axis. Two
potato or a ball. points on the globe through which the needle passes
Pierce a knitting are two poles – North Pole and South Pole. The globe
needle through it. The
can be moved around this needle from west to east
needle resembles the axis
shown in a globe. You can just as the earth moves. But, remember there is a major
now move the potato or the difference. The real earth has no such needle. It moves
ball around this axis from around its axis, which is an imaginary line.
left to right. Another imaginary line running on the globe divides
it into two equal parts. This line is known as the
equator. The northern half of the earth is known as
the Northern Hemisphere and the southern half is
known as the Southern Hemisphere. They are both