Locating Places on Earth – Detailed Explanation

“Theme A — India and the World: Land and the People – Locating Places on Earth – Understanding the Earth, continents, countries, and oceans. Introduction to maps, grid system, and cardinal directions.”

Overview:
This lesson explains how to locate places on Earth using maps and the grid system. You will learn about the Earth’s shape, the seven continents and five oceans, how maps work (title, scale, legend, compass), latitude and longitude (the grid), and cardinal directions. Real India examples — like the Tropic of Cancer, Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and New Delhi’s coordinates — are used to make ideas clear and useful for NCERT / CBSE Class 6 exam preparation.

1. Shape of the Earth
2. Continents and Countries
3. Oceans and Seas
4. What is a Map? — Parts of a Map
5. Types of Maps
6. Scale and Measuring Distance
7. Grid System: Latitude & Longitude
8. Cardinal and Intermediate Directions
9. Read a Map — Practical Steps & India Examples
10. Quick Facts & Study Tips

1. Shape of the Earth

The Earth is not flat. Modern science and simple observations show it is almost spherical but slightly flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator. This shape is called an oblate spheroid.
Simple evidence that the Earth is spherical:
- When a ship sails away, its hull disappears before its mast — because of the curvature of Earth’s surface.
- During a lunar eclipse, Earth casts a round shadow on the Moon.
- Photographs of Earth from space show a round planet.
Understanding Earth’s shape helps explain day and night, seasons, time zones and how maps and globes represent the planet.

2. Continents and Countries

A continent is a very large landmass. There are seven continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia (Oceania) and Antarctica.
A country is a political unit with defined borders, government, capital, and flag. Many countries exist inside a continent (for example, India is a country in the continent of Asia).

Quick classroom table — Continents & a key fact

3. Oceans and Seas

Oceans cover about 71% of Earth’s surface. They are vital for climate, food, trade and life.
The five major oceans:
- Pacific Ocean — largest and deepest.
- Atlantic Ocean — important trade routes between Americas, Europe and Africa.
- Indian Ocean — south of Asia; influences India’s climate (monsoon).
- Southern (Antarctic) Ocean — surrounds Antarctica.
- Arctic Ocean — smallest and coldest, near the North Pole.
Seas are parts of oceans partly enclosed by land (for example, the Bay of Bengal east of India and the Arabian Sea to the west).

4. What is a Map? — Parts of a Map

A map is a flat drawing of part or all of Earth that shows locations and relationships between places.

Essential parts of most maps:

Title: Tells the user what the map shows (e.g., “Map of India — Physical Features”).
Scale: Shows the ratio between distance on the map and ground distance. Example types: 1 cm = 10 km (statement scale), 1 : 1,000,000 (representative fraction), or a graphic (bar) scale.
Legend (key): Explains symbols used for roads, rivers, cities, forests, etc.
Compass rose / north arrow: Shows the map’s orientation—where North is.
Grid (latitude & longitude) or a local grid that helps to locate places precisely.
Inset (locator map): Small map showing where the main map area is located in larger context.

5. Types of Maps

Physical maps — show natural features such as mountains, rivers and plains.
Political maps — show human-made boundaries: countries, states, and capitals.
Topographic maps — show elevation and landform shapes using contour lines.
Thematic maps — focus on one theme such as rainfall, population, vegetation, or natural resources.
Road maps / Transportation maps — show roads, railways and routes.

6. Scale and Measuring Distance

Scale helps you convert map distances to real distances.
- Statement scale: “1 cm = 10 km”.
- Representative fraction (RF): “1 : 500,000” means 1 unit on map = 500,000 units on ground.
- Graphic scale: a bar you can directly measure against.
How to use: Measure the map distance (in cm), multiply by the factor given by the scale to get the actual ground distance.
- Example: If scale is 1 cm = 10 km and two towns are 6 cm apart on the map → 6 × 10 = 60 km on ground.

7. Grid System: Latitude & Longitude

The grid system uses imaginary lines to locate any point on Earth:
- Latitude (parallels): Run east–west, measure north or south of the Equator (0°). Values go from 0° to 90°N or 90°S. Important parallels: Equator (0°), Tropic of Cancer (~23.5°N), Tropic of Capricorn (~23.5°S).
- Longitude (meridians): Run from the North Pole to the South Pole; measure east or west of the Prime Meridian (0°) at Greenwich, London. Values go up to 180°E or 180°W.
Coordinates give an exact location: (latitude, longitude) — e.g., New Delhi ≈ 28.6° N, 77.2° E.
Why useful: Sailors, pilots, map-readers and GPS use coordinates to pinpoint places, plan travel and match maps to real locations.

8. Cardinal and Intermediate Directions

Cardinal directions: North (N), East (E), South (S), West (W).
Intermediate directions: Northeast (NE), Northwest (NW), Southeast (SE), Southwest (SW).
Practical use:
- The Bay of Bengal lies to the east of India.
- The Arabian Sea is to India’s west.
- To travel from Delhi to Chennai, you move generally south-east.
A compass or a compass rose on a map helps you orient the map to the real world.

9. Read a Map — Practical Steps & India Examples

Steps to read any map:

Read the title to know the purpose of the map.
Look at the legend to understand the symbols.
Check the scale for distance measurement.
Use the compass rose to orient the map (find North).
Identify grid lines (latitude/longitude) when precise location is needed.
Measure distance using scale or bar and plan a route.

India examples to practice:

Locate Tropic of Cancer: It passes through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Mark these on a map to see how it crosses central India.
Seas & Islands: Mark the Arabian Sea (west), Bay of Bengal (east), Andaman & Nicobar (Bay of Bengal) and Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea).
Coordinate practice: Find New Delhi (approx. 28.6°N, 77.2°E) and Mumbai (approx. 19.1°N, 72.8°E) and calculate approximate distances using map scales.
Use contour lines on a topographic map of the Western Ghats to identify steep slopes and passes.

10. Quick Facts & Study Tips

Quick Facts

Earth’s shape: Oblate spheroid.
Continents: 7.
Major oceans: 5.
Tropic of Cancer (~23.5°N) crosses India.
Prime Meridian (0°) passes through Greenwich, London.
New Delhi coordinates ≈ 28.6°N, 77.2°E.
Bay of Bengal is east, Arabian Sea is west of India.
Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean.

Study Tips for Class 6 (map skills & geography)

Memorize the seven continents and five oceans with a song or mnemonic.
Practice drawing a simple compass rose and label cardinal directions.
Use an atlas and a globe to compare how a flat map differs from a globe.
Practice reading scale: convert map cm to actual km for several city pairs.
Mark the Tropic of Cancer, Equator, and Prime Meridian on a blank map of the world and list nearby countries.
Do short timed quizzes: locate capitals, find coordinates, and identify seas around India.
Visit an online or physical map quiz to test grid reference and compass skills.

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Locating Places on Earth – Detailed Explanation