Page 104 - SST Class 06

Globe : The Model

of the Earth 16

q Importance of globe q Parallels of latitude
q Major heat zones of the Earth q Difference between Greenwich Mean Time, Local Time and Standard Time

Introduction through two points, one on the top and another

You have studied in the previous chapter that the on the bottom. These two points are the poles and
Earth is sphere in shape but not a perfect sphere. It are called the North Pole and the South Pole
looks like an orange bulging on the sides and respectively.
slightly flat at the top and bottom. Its true shape is
described as a geoid—spherical in middle and Just Think!
flattened at the poles. It can best be presented by a
true model in miniature form that is known as How can you see the entire world at a glance?
globe. If you look at a globe, you will find a grid of

horizontal and vertical lines. These lines intersect
GLOBE one another at different points. All these lines and

A globe is a true spherical representation of the the poles are imaginary. They do not exist on the
Earth. It is used to exactly represent the shapes Earth and have been drawn on a globe or a map
and sizes of the continents in order to help us study the Earth better.
and oceans and to know
distances and directions. We LATITUDES AND LONGITUDES
can see globes of different The lines in the grid, that you can see on a globe,
sizes. Some globes can be are horizontal and vertical. The horizontal lines
folded and are easy to carry. are called the latitudes and the vertical lines are
There are some globes in the called the longitudes .
form of balloons which can A globe
be inflated to study. Parallels of Latitude
Draw a horizontal line midway between the

Info Bits
Info Bits North Pole and the South Pole. This line is called
the Equator . This is the
The distance between two poles (North Pole and longest latitude. It divides N.P. .P.
N
0º
80º
8
South Pole) through the centre of the Earth is the Earth into two 70º 0º 60º 0º
7
6
12,742 km. This is the diameter of the Earth. h e m i s p h e r e s — t h e 50º 0º NORTH
5
UDES L
4 º 0º ATITUDE S LATIT
40
NORTH
Northern Hemisphere and 30º
30º
A globe is set on a stand. Its poles are a little tilted 20º
20º
in exactly the same manner as the Earth in reality the Southern Hemisphere . 10º
10º
The other latitudes are EQUA 0º 0º
EQUATOR TOR
SOUTH
is. We know that the Earth revolves round the 10º SOUTH TUDES S
ATITUDE
10º
20º
Sun, as well as rotates on its axis. Therefore, a drawn parallel to the 30º 20º LATI
L
30º
globe is set so on the stand that it can be rotated Equator and are in the 40º
40º
decreasing order of size
on its axis (poles). The needle of the globe passes Parallels of latitude
Contemporary Social Science-6
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