Which imaginary lines measure how far a place is north or south of the Equator?

Lines of latitude. Lines of latitude (parallels) measure distance north or south of the Equator, from 0 degrees at the Equator to 90 degrees at each pole. Lines of longitude, including the Prime Meridian, measure distance east or west, and grid squares are not measured in degrees.

What is a narrow strip of land that joins two larger landmasses, such as the land that connects North and South America?

An isthmus. An isthmus, such as the Isthmus of Panama, is a narrow strip of land joining two larger landmasses. A peninsula is land almost surrounded by water, a gulf is a large inlet of the sea, and an island is completely surrounded by water.

Jamaica lies at about 18 degrees north and 77 degrees west. In which two hemispheres is Jamaica found?

The Northern and Western Hemispheres. A latitude north of the Equator places Jamaica in the Northern Hemisphere, and a longitude west of the Prime Meridian places it in the Western Hemisphere.

Locating Places: Latitude, Longitude, Contin | Free Guide 2026

Key Takeaways

Absolute location gives exact coordinates, such as about 18 degrees north and 77 degrees west for Jamaica, while relative location describes a place in relation to others.
Lines of latitude measure distance north or south of the Equator (0 degrees), and lines of longitude measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian (0 degrees) through Greenwich.
A great circle divides the Earth into two equal halves; the Equator divides the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and Jamaica lies in the Northern and Western Hemispheres.
The seven continents in order of size are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia, and the five oceans are the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic.
A peninsula is land almost surrounded by water, an isthmus is a narrow strip of land joining two larger landmasses, and a gulf is usually larger than a bay.

12.4 Locating Places: Latitude, Longitude, Continents & Water Bodies

In Grade 6 Social Studies (Term 2, Unit 2), students state the absolute and relative location of landforms and water bodies, use the terms grid, latitude, longitude, great circle and hemisphere, locate places with lines of latitude and longitude, map the continents, major rivers and oceans, and classify landmasses and water bodies.

Absolute and Relative Location

Absolute location is a place's exact position, usually given by coordinates of latitude and longitude. Jamaica lies at about 18° N, 77° W.
Relative location describes where a place is compared with other places: Jamaica is south of Cuba and west of Haiti, or Mandeville is west of May Pen.
A map grid divides a map into squares labelled with letters along one edge and numbers along the other. "Square C4" helps you find a place quickly, but it is less exact than latitude and longitude.

Lines of Latitude (Parallels)

Lines of latitude run east to west around the globe but measure distance north or south of the Equator.
The Equator is $0^\circ$ latitude. Latitude increases to $90^\circ\text{ N}$ at the North Pole and $90^\circ\text{ S}$ at the South Pole.
Lines of latitude are parallel: they never meet, and they get shorter towards the poles.
Important lines of latitude:

Line	Latitude
Arctic Circle	about $66\frac{1}{2}^\circ\text{ N}$
Tropic of Cancer	about $23\frac{1}{2}^\circ\text{ N}$
Equator	$0^\circ$
Tropic of Capricorn	about $23\frac{1}{2}^\circ\text{ S}$
Antarctic Circle	about $66\frac{1}{2}^\circ\text{ S}$

Jamaica, at about $18^\circ\text{ N}$ , lies between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer, inside the tropics.

Lines of Longitude (Meridians)

Lines of longitude run north to south, from pole to pole, but measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.
The Prime Meridian ( $0^\circ$ ) passes through Greenwich in London, England. Longitude increases to $180^\circ$ east and $180^\circ$ west.
All lines of longitude are the same length and they meet at the poles.

When writing coordinates, give latitude first, then longitude: Kingston is at about $18^\circ\text{ N}, 77^\circ\text{ W}$ .

Great Circles and Hemispheres

A great circle is any circle drawn around the Earth that divides it into two equal halves. The Equator is a great circle. A line of longitude joined with the line directly opposite it (for example $0^\circ$ and $180^\circ$ ) also forms a great circle. Other lines of latitude are not great circles because they are smaller.
A hemisphere is half of the Earth. The Equator divides the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; the Prime Meridian and the $180^\circ$ line divide the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
Jamaica lies in the Northern and Western Hemispheres.

The Continents

Rank by size	Continent	A fact to remember
1	Asia	Largest continent; home of the Himalayas
2	Africa	Crossed by the Equator; home of the Nile and the Sahara
3	North America	Includes Central America and the Caribbean islands
4	South America	Home of the Amazon rainforest and the Andes
5	Antarctica	Covered in ice; no permanent population
6	Europe	Joined to Asia by land
7	Australia (Oceania)	Smallest continent

The Oceans

Ocean	A fact to remember
Pacific	Largest and deepest ocean
Atlantic	Second largest; lies east of the Caribbean
Indian	Lies between Africa, Asia and Australia
Southern	Surrounds Antarctica
Arctic	Smallest; around the North Pole and often frozen

The Caribbean Sea, which surrounds Jamaica, is part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Major Rivers of the World

River	Continent	Note
Nile	Africa	Often listed as the world's longest river
Amazon	South America	Carries the most water of any river
Yangtze	Asia	Longest river in Asia
Mississippi	North America	Major trade route through the United States
Volga	Europe	Longest river in Europe
Murray	Australia	Longest river in Australia

Classifying Landmasses and Water Bodies

Landmass	Meaning	Example
Continent	One of the seven very large landmasses	Africa
Island	Land completely surrounded by water	Jamaica
Peninsula	Land almost surrounded by water but joined to a larger landmass on one side	Florida in the United States
Isthmus	A narrow strip of land joining two larger landmasses	The Isthmus of Panama, joining North and South America

Water body	Meaning	Example
Ocean	One of the five largest bodies of salt water	Atlantic Ocean
Sea	A large body of salt water, smaller than an ocean and partly enclosed by land	Caribbean Sea
Gulf	A large area of sea partly surrounded by land, usually bigger than a bay	Gulf of Mexico
Bay	A curved inlet of the sea, smaller than a gulf	Montego Bay, Discovery Bay
Lake	A body of water surrounded by land	Lake Victoria in Africa
River	A natural stream of fresh water flowing towards the sea or a lake	Rio Minho, Black River

Tip

Remember the matching pairs: a peninsula is land almost surrounded by water, while a bay or gulf is water almost surrounded by land. An isthmus joins two landmasses, while a strait (such as the Jamaica Channel between Jamaica and Haiti) is a narrow stretch of water joining two larger bodies of water.

PEP — Primary Exit Profile (Jamaica)

12.4 Locating Places: Latitude, Longitude, Continents & Water Bodies

Key Takeaways

12.4 Locating Places: Latitude, Longitude, Continents & Water Bodies

Absolute and Relative Location

Lines of Latitude (Parallels)

Lines of Longitude (Meridians)

Great Circles and Hemispheres

The Continents

The Oceans

Major Rivers of the World

Classifying Landmasses and Water Bodies