Its time to get out your globe for Where in the World? You need to know about the imaginary lines on globes and maps. These lines are called lines of latitude and longitude and they tell a pilot or ships captain exactly where in the world a certain place is located. Basically, latitude lines (also called parallels) are the horizontal lines on your map. Lines of longitude (also called meridians) are the vertical lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. This mapping system is written in degrees and uses the symbol (for very specific locations, it is also broken down into minutes ' and seconds "). Get ready to travel the world!
This year the Winter Olympics are being held in Italy, so it's the perfect time to learn about this wonderful country. On your globe, find longitude of 12E and latitude of 41N and you'll find Rome, the capital of Italy. Italy is a long peninsula that is shaped like a boot. The country extends from the mountains of the Alps in the north, to the Mediterranean Sea in the south.
Geographically, Italy is located in southern Europe. It is bordered by France in the northwest, Switzerland and Austria on the north, and Slovenia on the northeast. Because it is a peninsula (a piece of land that projects into a body of water), Italy is surrounded by water on three sides. It is surrounded by several arms of the Mediterranean Sea the Adriatic and Ionian seas in the east and the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian seas in the west.
Italy occupies the entire peninsula, except for two tiny independent states: San Marino and Vatican City. The Vatican City is located in Rome but is its own separate state and is the headquarters for the Roman Catholic Church. Some other interesting facts about Italy:
Italy has an active volcano called Vesuvius, which is famous for its eruption in 79 A.D. that buried the towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii.
Italy's longest river is called the Po and is 405 miles long.
Italy was the heart of the ancient Roman Empire.
The chief crops in Italy include tomatoes, grapes, and olives. It is one of the world's leading wine producers.
Archaeological excavations show that people lived in Sicily as early as 5000 BC.
Source: Delzell, Charles F., Italy. Reviewed by Jeremy Black. The New Book of Knowledge. Scholastic Library Publishing, 2006.
