Lesson 1: Locating Places on Earth

Lithosphere - divided into seven continental landmasses.

Horizontal & Vertical lines on the map compose a system of coordinates that geographers and
travelers use in locating places and identifying directions on Earth.

Greeks - were the first to establish the first system of navigation.

TWO STARTING POINTS THAT ARE USED IN LOCATING THE DIRECTIONS OF

THE EARTH:
1. Equator or Prime Parallel
- Horizontal line
- Divides Northern to Southern
2. Prime Meridian
- Vertical line
- Passes through Greenwich, England
- Divides Western to Eastern
Equator & Prime Meridian - referred to as great circles.

LATITUDES
The North or south location of any place on Earth is called
latitude. Latitudes are marked by imaginary lines called
parallels of latitude. Since the equator is the starting point
in determining the latitude of a particular place, it is
designated as 0° latitude. Thus, it is essential to indicate the "N' or 'S" after the degree unit.
Latitude measurements range from 0° to 90°.

LONGITUDES
The West or east locations is marked by an Imaginary line called longitude. Longitudes are
marked by imaginary lines called meridians of longitude. This line is designated as 0° longitude,
and a metallic marker in Greenwich indicates its exact location. Longitude measurements range
from 0° to 180°. The space, between two meridians, is greatest at the equator (by about 70 mi).

LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE DISTANCE MEASUREMENTS

- About 70 miles (112km)
Minute - a degree that is divided into equal parts
Nautical Mile - minute of latitude or longitude is equal to 70/60 mi, or 1.1667 mi
A second of latitude or longitude is equal to 100 ft.
Where Is the Exact Location of the Philippines?
The Philippines is a tropical country located in the
Northern Hemisphere specifically at 13°00'00" North;
122° 00'00" East on the southern coast of the continent of
Asia. It is the second-largest archipelago in the world with
a total land area of 300,000 km. divided into about 7,640
individual islands. The Philippines is bounded on the west
by the West Philippine Sea, on the east by the Pacific
Ocean, on the north by the Bashi Channel, and on the
south by the Sulu and Celebes Seas. The Philippines,
just like other nations in the world, has many landforms
and bodies of water. Landforms consist of rugged hills,
mountains, plains, plateaus, valleys, and peninsulas.
These various types of landforms compose Earth's lithosphere. The Philippines, being an
archipelago, is known for the various bodies of water surrounding it, as well as inland bodies of
water in its interior. These bodies of water compose Earth's vast hydrosphere. The succeeding
discussions will be focused on these two spheres of planet Earth.
Lesson 2: The Landmasses on Earth and in the
Philippines
THE SEVEN CONTINENTS OF THE WORLD
Continents - large landmasses that make up Earth’s surface.

Asia is composed of about 48 countries, and according to World

Statistics, 60% of the total population of Earth lives here. It is
considered the largest continent on Earth, and it is also the most
populated continent with 4.5 billion people. The large population
of Asia makes it an important part of the world economy.

Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It consists of

54 countries and is home to 1.2 billion people.
Africa lies in the center of Earth, with the equator passing
through its center. The climate of Africa is largely tropical. The
northern and southern parts of Africa have temperate climatic
conditions. Africa is also considered to be the hottest continent.
It is also home to a huge amount of diverse wildlife, sea life, and
many primate species. The largest desert, the Sahara, is located
on this continent.

North America is the third-largest continent in the world by land

area and fourth largest continent by population. North America is
home to nearly 580 million people, holding about 7.5% of the
world's population. It includes 23 countries led by the United
States of America (USA), the largest economy in the world. The
largest lake in the world, Lake Superior, is located on this
continent. The world's largest sugar exporter, Cuba, known as
the "Sugar Bowl of the World," is located in North America. Most
of the land and area of the continent is dominated by Canada,
the United States of America, Greenland, and Mexico.

South America is the fourth largest continent in terms of land

area and is fifth in terms of population, with an area covering
approximately 17.84 million square kilometers and a population
of more than 420 million. South America is a continent known for
its various geographical features and biodiversity. The Angel
Falls, the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall, is situated in
Venezuela. The Amazon River, which is the biggest river in the
world (in terms of volume), and the Amazon forest, which is the
largest rainforest on Earth, are both situated on this continent.
This continent is also home to amazing flora and fauna. Some of
these are anacondas, piranhas, jaguars, and other unique
tropical birds and monkeys.

Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth. Much of this

continent is made of large, permanent glaciers that surround the
South Pole. There are no permanent inhabitants on this
continent. Antarctica is the least populated continent on Earth,
with a population of less than 5000. It is also home to very few
plants and animal species.

Europe is the sixth largest continent by land area and the third
most populated continent in the world after Asia and Africa. It is
composed of 51 countries. It is the most economically developed
continent where the European Union, the biggest economic and
political union, is situated. Russia is the largest country in
Europe, while Vatican City is the smallest. Europe and Asia are
parts of the same major landmass, and they are separated by
the Ural mountains and the Caspian Sea. Europe is bordered by
the Arctic Ocean on the north side, the Atlantic Ocean on the
west side, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Black Sea and connected waterways on
the southeast.

Australia is the world's smallest continent by total land area.

Because of its size and location, it is also called an "island
continent." This continent is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and
the Pacific Ocean. Australia is one of the least populated
continents and is rich in biodiversity. The Great Barrier Reef, which
is the largest coral reef in the world, is in Australia. Countries
included in the Australian continent include Australia, Papa New
Guinea, and portions of Indonesia.

7 CONTINENTS POPULATION

Asia 4.5 B

Africa 1.2 B

North America 580 M

South America 420 M

Antarctica Less than 5,000

Europe 748 M

Australia 26 M
LANDFORMS IN THE PHILIPPINES
A. 37 known Volcanoes, of which 18 are confirmed as active.
1. Mt. Mayon
- Perfect cone-shaped
- Legaspi City, Albay
2. Mt. Pinatubo
- Zambales Mountains
3. Taal Volcano
- Smallest volcano
- Middle of Taal Lake
4. Mt. Bulusan
- Sorsogon
5. Mt. Hibok-Hibok
- Camiguin Island
6. Mt. Apo
- Highest Mountain
- 9,692 ft above sea level
- Davao City
7. Mt. Banahaw
- Located between Laguna and Quezon
8. Mt. Iraya
- Bataan Island
- Batanes

B. Non-volcanic Mountains
1. Mt. Dulang-Dulang
- Kitanglad Range, Bukidnon
- Second highest mountain
2. Sierra Madre Mountain
- Northern Luzon
3. Mt. Halcon
- Negros Occidental
4. Mt. Kanlaon
- Negros Occidental
5. The Chocolate Hills
- Bohol
6. Antipolo Hills
- Rizal
C. Flat Lands
1. Central Plain/Rice Granary of the Philippines
- Largest lowlands
2. Cagayan Valley
- Country’s top agricultural crops ranging from rice, corn, sugarcane, etc.

Lesson 3: The Bodies of Water on Earth and in the

Philippines
Hydrosphere - the liquid portion of the planet Earth.

EARTH’S OCEAN
The Philippines is an
archipelago and is separated
by bodies of water from
mainland Asia. It is located
in the northeast portion of
Asia. The Philippines is
positioned in the western
part of the Pacific Ocean,
along the Ring of Fire. Let us first discuss the major oceans of the world.

The oceans cover about 71% of Earth's surface. As of the year 2000, there are five great
oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern Oceans. These oceans vary in
depth, area, and volume. The largest in terms of these parameters is the Pacific Ocean
followed by the Atlantic Ocean. The oceans and seas comprise the marine or saltwater
environment.

• Pacific Ocean
- The Pacific Ocean is the world's largest ocean. It encompasses approximately a
third of Earth's surface, having an area of 165.25 million square kilometers. It
extends from the Arctic in the north to the southern ocean in the south, bounded by
Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east. The Marianas Trench in
the western North Pacific is the deepest part in the world, reaching a depth of 10,
994 m (36, 070 ft).
• Atlantic Ocean
- The Atlantic Ocean is the Second largest ocean and the most heavily traveled. It has
a surface area of about 82 million square kilometers. The Atlantic Ocean is an
S-shaped north-south channel extending from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the
Antarctic continent in the south and situated between the eastern coast of the
American continents and the western coast of Europe and Africa.
• Indian Ocean
- The Indian Ocean covers approximately one-fifth of the total ocean area of the world.
It is bounded by lran, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh to the north, the Malay
Peninsula, the Sunda islands of Indonesia; and Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to
the west. It has an area of 73.440,000 km² and is considered the world's third-largest
ocean. This ocean is named after a country called India.
• Arctic Ocean
- The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's oceans. It is located in the Northern
Hemisphere and mostly surrounds the Arctic North Polar Region. It is completely
surrounded by the landmasses of Eurasia and North America, and a cover of ice
distinguishes it. The Arctic Ocean covers an area of about 14.090,000 square
kilometers. Land adjacent and located in it include Point Barrow in Alaska, the Arctic
archipelago, Greenland, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, and Northern Siberia.
• Southern Ocean
- Historically, there are four named oceans, but most countries now recognize the
Southern Ocean as the fifth ocean. For decades, the Southern (Antarctic) ocean
waters had the coldest and deepest currents. But now, according to scientists, the
cold ocean currents have shut down due to the changing climate.

Characteristics of Ocean Water

1. Ocean water is salty. Salinity is the
measurement of the amount of salt dissolved
in water. The most common and the most
abundant salt dissolved in the ocean is
sodium chloride. Salts dissolved in ocean
water come from two sources: the
weathering of minerals from rocks and
volcanic gases. The average ocean water's
salinity is 96,5% water and 3.5% salt or 35
parts of salt per thousand parts of water.
Salinity varies depending on the location. Near the surface and near a body of
freshwater, the salinity is lower due to the addition of freshwater (rain, snow, and
melting ice). Near the poles, the salinity is higher due to snow and glacier formation.
During summer, the salinity is higher due to excessive evaporation.
2. The density of pure water is 1000 kg/m³ Ocean water is denser than pure water
because of the salt dissolved in it. One liter of freshwater is less dense than one liter
of saltwater; thus, pure water will float on top of ocean water. The density of ocean
water at the sea surface is about 1027 kg/ m3. Two main factors affect the density of
ocean water -temperature and salinity. When the temperature is high, the density of
ocean water increases. Given a container with 1000 mL of saltwater, then applying
heat, the water in the warmer layer will float on top of the water in the colder layer.
3. The temperature of the oceans is not constant nor is it uniform throughout the
oceanic mass. The temperature of the water varies with location.
4. Dissolved gases are important in maintaining the life activities of marine organisms.
Carbon dioxide is 60 times greater in marine waters than in the atmosphere. Carbon
dioxide is important for marine producers in photosynthesis as well as building coral
reefs and the exoskeletons of some animals. Carbon dioxide comes from the
atmosphere and respiration of marine organisms. Oxygen mixes with saltwater
through the process of diffusion and the photosynthetic activities of the marine
producers.