(a) The true shape of the Earth is a sphere flattened at the poles. Such a sphere is called geoid. Geoid is not a complete sphere.
(b) A globe is an exact miniature model of the Earth. It shows the Earth in its actual shape with all continents, oceans etc. The globe is not fixed. It can be rotated the same way as the top spin or a potter’s wheel is rotated.
(c) The latitudinal value of Tropic of Cancer is 23 ½ ◦ N. it passes from halfway of India and divides India into almost two equal parts. Tropic of Cancer lies above equator and below Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a important parallel of the latitude or we can say North latitude.
(d) The three heat zones of the Earth are:
(e) Parallels of latitude:
(f) Torrid zone receives the maximum amount of sunlight because it is near equator. The sun rays directly falls on the equator so, the region near the equator will receive maximum sunlight and will be hot. As the torrid zone is near the equator, it will also be very hot.
(g) India and London lie on different longitude. Each degree of longitude corresponds to a difference of 4 minutes, this is because the Earth rotates 360 degree in 24 hours, 1 in 4 minutes. The Standard meridian of India is 82 ½ ◦ East and that of London is 0. This means a difference of 4 min x 82.5 = 30 min.
So, when it is 12: 00 noon in London, it is 5: 30 pm in India.
(a) (ii) 0◦
Just like equator prime meridian is also 0◦. Equator is a parallel of latitude which divides into 2 hemispheres: Northern Earth Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. Prime meridian is meridian of longitude which divides Earth into 2 hemisphere- Eastern Hemisphere and Western Hemisphere.
(b) (i) The poles
The frigid zone lies at pole as it is far from the equator. It lies near Arctic circle at 66 ½ ◦N and Antarctic circle 66 ½ ◦S as it is far from equator. These regions are very cold.
(c) (i) 360
There are 360 longitudes. There are 180◦ E and 180◦ W meridians on the same line.
(d) (ii) The Southern Hemisphere
Antarctic circle is situated at the poles. It is in Southern region at the frigid zone.
(e) (i) Parallels of latitudes and meridian of longitudes
The network of parallels of latitudes and meridian of longitudes is called grid.
(a) 23 ½ ◦S
The Tropic of Capricorn is located at the Southern Hemisphere at 23 ½ ◦S and Tropic of Cancer is located at Northern Hemisphere at 23 ½ ◦N.
(b) 82 ½ ◦E
The standard meridian of India is located at Eastern Hemisphere at 82 ½ ◦E (82◦30’E); it is also known as Indian Standard Time (IST) as the local time at this meridian is taken as standard time at whole country.
(c) Prime meridian
It is a 0◦ longitude. Same like equator it also divides Earth into 2 hemispheres Eastern and Western.
(d) Poles
As we move towards the poles, the distance between longitudes gets decreased.
(e) Northern
Arctic circle is situated at the northern hemisphere at the frigid zone or the poles.