A map is a drawing that represents an area as seen from above, and an atlas is a collection of maps. Maps come in three broad kinds — physical, political and thematic — and rely on three main components: distance (shown by a scale, such as 1 cm = 500 m), direction (the four cardinal directions north, east, south and west, plus intermediate ones), and symbols (standardised drawings fixed by the Survey of India). Because the Earth is nearly a sphere, it cannot be flattened onto paper without distortion, so a globe represents it best. Any place can be located using a grid of two coordinates. Latitudes are parallels running east–west, measured from the Equator (0°) to the poles (90°N and 90°S), and they relate to climate — torrid near the Equator, temperate further away, frigid near the poles. Longitudes are meridians running pole to pole, measured from the Prime (Greenwich) Meridian fixed in 1884, from 0° to 180° east or west. Longitude also measures time: the Earth turns 360° in 24 hours, so 15° equals one hour. Indian Standard Time is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT. The International Date Line lies near 180°. Ancient India used its own prime meridian through Ujjayinī (Ujjain).
Maps, atlases and their componentsScale, direction and symbolsLatitudes and climateLongitudes and the Prime MeridianTime zones, IST and the International Date Line
Key terms
Scale
The ratio that tells how a distance on a map relates to the actual distance on the ground, e.g. 1 cm = 500 m.
Latitude
An imaginary line (parallel) measuring distance north or south of the Equator, from 0° to 90°.
Longitude
An imaginary line (meridian) measuring distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, from 0° to 180°.
Prime Meridian
The 0° longitude passing through Greenwich, fixed in 1884 as the international reference line.
Indian Standard Time
India's single standard time, which is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
International Date Line
An imaginary line near 180° longitude; crossing it changes the date by one day.
Extra questions & answers
LET'S EXPLORE
The Big Questions
LET'S EXPLORE
LET'S EXPLORE
LET'S EXPLORE
LET'S EXPLORE
LET'S EXPLORE
LET'S EXPLORE
LET'S EXPLORE
LET'S EXPLORE
Questions, activities and projects
Try one from this chapter
What is a map?
Flashcards & interactive practice
Practice quiz · Locating Places on the Earth
Score on this chapter, climb the leaderboard, and get an AI diagnosis of your mistakes.
Double-checked questions Real exam pattern 1 free test every month, then ₹9 per test
#1
Locating Places on the Earth
Start here
Social Science 10 Qs · ~10 min
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
Data & insights
Trending in Class 6 this monthThe chapters students are reading most right now
