GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY YEAR 1, PART 1 www.vicensvives.es
Contents 01 Our planet Earth 02 The representation of the Earth: maps 03 The Earth s relief 04 Rivers and seas 05 Weather and climate 06 Climates and landscapes of the Earth 07 Climas Society y and paisajes the environment de España, Europa y la CA 1
Planet Earth and the Solar System 1. The Solar System 2. Planet Earth 3. Rotation of the Earth: days and nights 4. Revolution of the Earth: seasons of the year
Introduction The Universe is made up of millions of galaxies. Our galaxy is called the Milky Way. It contains millions of stars, including the Sun. The Earth and seven other planets orbit the Sun. Together they form the Solar System. The Earth spins on its axis and also orbits (or moves around) the Sun. These movements explain why we have day and night and the changes in the seasons.
1. The Solar System 1.1. The Solar System The Solar System
1.1. The Solar System The Milky Way is one of the many galaxies that exist in the Universe. The Sun is a star in a galaxy called the Milky Way. The Sun is at the centre of the Solar System.
1.1. The Solar System The Earth is one of the eight planets in the Solar System. The planets orbit the Sun. The eight planets are divided into two groups: the inner planets and the outer planets. Satellites are bodies that orbit a planet. The Moon is the Earth's satellite. Asteroids are small bodies of rock and metal that orbit the Sun.
01 The Solar System
01 The Solar System
01 2. Planet Earth 2.1. The Blue Planet The Earth s dimensions
2.1. The Blue Planet From space, the Earth looks blue. This is because of the oxygen in the atmosphere and the abundance of seas and oceans. The Earth is a sphere but it is not perfectly round. It is slightly flattened at the poles. The equator is an imaginary line that runs around the middle of the Earth. It separates the planet into two equal hemispheres. The total surface area of the Earth is 510 000 000 km², about 1 000 times bigger than Spain.
The Earth s dimensions
The Earth s dimensions
3. Rotation of the Earth: days and nights 3.1. Rotation of the Earth Rotation of the Earth 3.2. Time zones Time zones
3.1. Rotation of the Earth The Earth spins (or rotates) on an imaginary axis that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole. The Earth completes one rotation every 24 hours. This rotation causes the sequence of days and nights. The rotation of the Earth also stops the planet from becoming too hot or too cold and allows life on Earth to exist.
Rotation of the Earth
Rotation of the Earth
3.2. Time zones Due to the rotation of the Earth, the Sun first appears in places in the east. In Spain, the Sun rises first in the Balearic Islands, then in Valencia, followed by Madrid, then Galicia and finally the Canary Islands. Because it gets light and dark at different times in other parts of the world, the Earth is divided into 24 time zones. All the places in the same time zone share the same time.
Time zones
4. Revolution of the Earth: seasons of the year 4.1. Revolution of the Earth The Earth s revolution around the Sun
4.1. Revolution of the Earth The Earth takes about one year to complete a revolution of the Sun. The exact time is 365 days, 6 hours and 9 minutes. The inclination (tilt) of the Earth causes the different seasons. Different areas of the Earth are exposed to different amounts of solar light during the year. When the northern hemisphere receives more light, it is summer in the north and winter in the south. The opposite happens when the South Pole is tilted towards the Sun.
The Earth s revolution around the Sun
The Earth s revolution around the Sun