Studies show that the circumference of the earth is about 25,000 miles, which is so much ground to cover, especially for anyone who wants to learn more about the world. However, there are ways to achieve this, and you can do so by using a world globe. In this article, you’ll learn the key things to know about reading and understanding the world globe.

Meanings of Longitude

The first step to fully understanding what your globe is showing you is to be able to differentiate between longitude and latitude. The latitudinal lines show the distance between the south or north from the equator on the globe. On the other hand, the lines of longitude show how far west or east is from the prime meridian. The key thing to note is that the equator is a naturally occurring point that is halfway between the south pole, and the north pole, while the prime meridian is more arbitrary.

Determining the Coordinates on the Globe

Another interesting thing about owning a world globe is that with it, you’ll be able to determine the coordinates of a different location on the planet. Different locations on the globe have their own latitude and longitude, and this is measured in degrees. Also, it can also be broken further into minutes and seconds. The key thing to note is that 60 minutes in a degree is equivalent to 60 seconds in a minute.

World Globe Helps to Understand Distance

After you have familiarized yourself with the coordinate system, you’ll be able to take measurements of the distance between points on the globe. Since the world is spherical, it’s important to have a proper understanding of distance. Another thing to understand about measuring distance is that the distance between two longitudinal points mostly depends on the distance from their equator

World Globe Helps to Illustrate Roundness of the Earth

Regardless of the type of map globe that you’re using, you can easily identify the route between different points. Another thing to note is that a short distance is not necessarily a straight line. Since the earth has a curvature, it’s a lot wider in the grid system and also at the equator compared to at the poles. Also, the shortest route between cities can be seen at the curve on the globe.

Understanding the Turn of the Season with the World

With your globe, you can also learn about the different changing seasons. If you’ve noticed, the globe sits at an angle, with the equator perpendicular to the platform it’s on. You’ll also notice that there’s a slight slant, which represents the angle of the earth while it rotates around the sun. It is the angle that is actually responsible for different seasons across different parts of the world.