Fundamentals of Geography for Grade 11

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Educate. Today we will be talking about the basics of geography in grade 11. Stay tuned. So now in grade 11, geography, we basically talk about the Earth. So we need to know how the Earth looks like before we get on to understanding the major concepts. So you already know that the Earth is a sphere shape. so it means that the shape is sphere. It's more like a ball so that's how the earth looks like. So we can actually divide it into two halves which we will call the hemispheres. So if you divide the earth into two halves you can see that I've divided here using a red line. You are dividing into two halves known as hemispheres. So the upper half is known as the northern hemisphere and the lower half is known as the southern hemisphere. So if you can just look at this, you can say that this is the northern hemisphere, all this region, the upper half of the earth. And then we can say that the lower half is the southern hemisphere. So the line that actually divides the earth into two halves, we say it is known as the equator. So equator just means that it is dividing the earth into two equal halves. The word equator, it has got an equal in it. OK, so that's just simply means that it is a line. cutting or dividing the earth into two halves. So as I already said, the line that divides the earth into hemispheres is known as the equator. So now let's look at from the equator now. So since the equator is the line or the center of the earth, the ones that is dividing the earth, we can actually measure distances away from this line, away from the equator. And then those distances we're going to draw lines and then those lines we say that they are known as lines of latitude. So lines of latitude are just distances away from the center of the earth or away from the equator. For example if I can just say this is my equator if I can measure a distance away from the equator in degrees I can draw another line here and I'll name it 30 degrees. So this 30 degrees just simply means that this is 30 degrees away from the equator. In this case, this is 30 degrees south of the equator. Remember that the southern hemisphere, the lower half is the southern hemisphere. So that's why here I say this is 30 degrees away from the center of the Earth. I can also draw another line here and then I can say this is 60 degrees line of latitude. So this is 60 degrees away from the center of the Earth. or away from the equator. And then the last one which I will draw here at the end is the 90 degrees line of latitude. So now this happens for all the hemispheres. So this is the southern hemisphere. If I can draw the same lines, I can also draw them on the northern hemisphere. I can draw a line 30 degrees to the north, to the north of the equator. I can also draw another line 60 degrees here to the north of the equator. and then another one 90 degrees. So you can see that these lines of latitude are just measurements in degrees away from the center of the Earth or away from the equator. So you need to know the regions. So the areas or the regions around the equator. So if you are here closer to the equator, here is closer to the equator. These areas, they are known as the tropics. So the areas that are located closer to the equator are known as the tropics. So whenever you hear the word tropics, we are referring to these areas that are near the equator. So these areas that are near the equator are known as the tropics. And then the areas that are away from the equator, the ones that are very far away from the equator, the ones that are closer here to the 90 degrees line of latitude, they are known as the polar regions. They are known as the poles. or they are known as the polar regions. So this is polar regions or the poles. And then the ones closer to the equator, they are known as the tropics. Okay. So now I think that is clear on the lines of latitude. So now the earth has got a certain movement. Of course, the earth moves. So the earth actually rotates. are on its axis. So an axis is more like a line, it's more like a line, it's just an invisible line on which this earth rotates. So you can see that these arrows, the red one and the blue one, they are representing the movement or the rotation of the earth. So the earth is actually moving in this rotary motion. It is actually rotating. So this rotation of the earth, it takes 24 hours, which makes a day. So when the earth rotates, it is actually creating what we call a day. So it takes 24 hours. So now... The earth also revolves, another movement, the earth also revolves around the sun for 365 days. So when you say that it revolves, it means it is moving around the sun. It is actually taking a path around the sun. So you can see that this is our sun here. This part is our sun. And then this part is our earth. So these arrows are representing the orbit of the earth. So this is known as the orbit. So the path, or maybe I can just say the way that the earth rotates around the sun is known as an orbit. So the earth also revolves around the sun for 365 days. So that is what we call a year. So when it is rotating, we have a day. When it is revolving, we have a year. So it rotates on its axis, I repeat, and it revolves on its orbit. An orbit is just a circle. where the earth moves. So now the earth has got an unequal energy distribution. So the equator, remember the equator, it is this line at the middle. So this line, the equator, we can call it a zero degrees line of latitude. Okay, we say it's a zero degrees line of latitude because it is the center of the earth and we measure all the lines of latitude from it. So it's a zero degrees line of latitude. So at the equator, the heat is greater, I can say. So the equator is actually hot. So this place known as the equator is hot. Why is the equator hot? It is because the sun rays strike more directly. So that's the first reason we're going to give that a mark. So the sun rays strike more directly. And then the sun rays are also concentrated on a smaller area. What does this actually mean? If you can just look at our equator, this is my sun. You can see this is the sun and then these are the sun rays that are moving towards the earth. By the way, I've made this image especially for you so that you can see what we mean when we say that the equator is hot. So you can see that here the sun rays are going directly to the equator, to this region. That is why it is hot. And also, these sun rays, they are concentrated on a smaller area. Just simply means that more sun rays are striking the equator when the equator is just a smaller area. So if you can look at the poles, these poles here away from the equator, the areas away from the equator. This is the North Pole. This is the South Pole, of course. So you can see that the sun rays are striking at a lower angle or at an oblique angle. So. You can see that there will not be that much heat. So that is why it is cold in these regions. So we say that at the equator, it is hot. But at these regions, the polar regions, it is cold. This is cold. But then here at the equator, it is hot. So these are the reasons for the heat, the immense heat at the equator. So you can see that there are countries here around the equator, especially Africa. That is why Africa is the hottest continent in the entire earth. It is because Africa is closer. Most of the tropical regions are in Africa. So you can see that that is why we are black and dark. It's because there is more sun that we are receiving. Whereas the countries that are located at the poles, the countries that are located here at the poles, those countries, they receive less heat. They receive less heat. insulation. Remember that the sun actually travels in form of incoming solar radiation. You did this in grade 10. So insulation is just a rays, the sun rays basically. It's just the radiation from the sun. So here there is more direct radiation but then at the poles there is what? There is less direct radiation. So it is hot at the equator. In this case, we're here in South Africa. You can see where we are. We are closer to the poles a bit, but in South Africa, it's hot, of course. Yeah, but in countries like DRC, you're only found in the equator. So now we say that there's an unequal energy distribution just simply because the equator is hotter than the poles. So the word unequal just means we see a ugly man, basically. OK, the other area receives more heat. The other one receives less heat. So it's unequal energy distribution. So now this unequal energy distribution leads us to the need for an energy balance. Okay, since we have said that the equator is more hot than the polar regions, we need some of the heat from the equator to move to the poles. Because if these polar regions, these polar regions, they do not receive heat, people will not be able to live there. There won't be an energy balance. So to restore that energy balance, what should be done? The excess energy from the equator needs to move to the poles. This is what needs to be done. When we say the excess energy, it just means that since the equator is receiving more heat than necessary, extra energy or extra heat from the equator is to move to these places, is to move to these cold places, is to move to the polar regions. So how does that move? The heat energy that needs to move from the equator, it moves through winds as well as... ocean currents. Winds are not that much of a big deal because winds are just moving air. So when air moves, it actually transfers heat. For example, when the air here at the equator moves towards the polar regions, it is actually transferring some of the heat from the equator so that there can be an energy balance. So here the winds are just moving air. that transfer heat from the equator. From this diagram, which I have taken from Via Africa, you can see that this is the equator, the zero degrees line of latitude. You can see that there are arrows moving from the equator towards the poles, and it's a written poleward transport of energy surplus. Simply means that the surplus energy or the excess energy at the equator is being transferred to the poles because the poles, remember that they are cold and we need an energy balance. So the winds are actually transferring the heat to the poles. In this case, they are transferring them both to the North Pole as well as to the South Pole. So we say that there is an energy surplus at the equator because there is more energy. In the poles, there is an energy deficit because there is less energy because the sun does not strike directly. So now the other thing is ocean currents. Ocean currents are also responsible for the movement of heat. So these are ocean currents. So ocean currents are simply the movement of the surface water of oceans. So the oceans that are surrounding the land, the water on the surface can actually move from the equator towards the poles. So the oceans that are found here at the equator actually transfer the heat in form of ocean currents towards the what? Towards the poles. So this is how there is an energy balance maintained in the earth. It is because of winds and ocean currents. So these are just the basics of geography in grade 11. Stay tuned for our next video.

So you already know that the Earth is a sphere shape. so it means that the shape is sphere. It's more like a ball so that's how the earth looks like.

So we can actually divide it into two halves which we will call the hemispheres. So if you divide the earth into two halves you can see that I've divided here using a red line. You are dividing into two halves known as hemispheres. So the upper half is known as the northern hemisphere and the lower half is known as the southern hemisphere. So if you can just look at this, you can say that this is the northern hemisphere, all this region, the upper half of the earth.

And then we can say that the lower half is the southern hemisphere. So the line that actually divides the earth into two halves, we say it is known as the equator. So equator just means that it is dividing the earth into two equal halves.

The word equator, it has got an equal in it. OK, so that's just simply means that it is a line. cutting or dividing the earth into two halves. So as I already said, the line that divides the earth into hemispheres is known as the equator.

So now let's look at from the equator now. So since the equator is the line or the center of the earth, the ones that is dividing the earth, we can actually measure distances away from this line, away from the equator. And then those distances we're going to draw lines and then those lines we say that they are known as lines of latitude. So lines of latitude are just distances away from the center of the earth or away from the equator.

For example if I can just say this is my equator if I can measure a distance away from the equator in degrees I can draw another line here and I'll name it 30 degrees. So this 30 degrees just simply means that this is 30 degrees away from the equator. In this case, this is 30 degrees south of the equator.

Remember that the southern hemisphere, the lower half is the southern hemisphere. So that's why here I say this is 30 degrees away from the center of the Earth. I can also draw another line here and then I can say this is 60 degrees line of latitude.

So this is 60 degrees away from the center of the Earth. or away from the equator. And then the last one which I will draw here at the end is the 90 degrees line of latitude. So now this happens for all the hemispheres.

So this is the southern hemisphere. If I can draw the same lines, I can also draw them on the northern hemisphere. I can draw a line 30 degrees to the north, to the north of the equator. I can also draw another line 60 degrees here to the north of the equator.

and then another one 90 degrees. So you can see that these lines of latitude are just measurements in degrees away from the center of the Earth or away from the equator. So you need to know the regions.

So the areas or the regions around the equator. So if you are here closer to the equator, here is closer to the equator. These areas, they are known as the tropics. So the areas that are located closer to the equator are known as the tropics. So whenever you hear the word tropics, we are referring to these areas that are near the equator.

So these areas that are near the equator are known as the tropics. And then the areas that are away from the equator, the ones that are very far away from the equator, the ones that are closer here to the 90 degrees line of latitude, they are known as the polar regions. They are known as the poles. or they are known as the polar regions.

So this is polar regions or the poles. And then the ones closer to the equator, they are known as the tropics. Okay.

So now I think that is clear on the lines of latitude. So now the earth has got a certain movement. Of course, the earth moves. So the earth actually rotates. are on its axis.

So an axis is more like a line, it's more like a line, it's just an invisible line on which this earth rotates. So you can see that these arrows, the red one and the blue one, they are representing the movement or the rotation of the earth. So the earth is actually moving in this rotary motion.

It is actually rotating. So this rotation of the earth, it takes 24 hours, which makes a day. So when the earth rotates, it is actually creating what we call a day. So it takes 24 hours.

So now... The earth also revolves, another movement, the earth also revolves around the sun for 365 days. So when you say that it revolves, it means it is moving around the sun.

It is actually taking a path around the sun. So you can see that this is our sun here. This part is our sun.

And then this part is our earth. So these arrows are representing the orbit of the earth. So this is known as the orbit.

So the path, or maybe I can just say the way that the earth rotates around the sun is known as an orbit. So the earth also revolves around the sun for 365 days. So that is what we call a year.

So when it is rotating, we have a day. When it is revolving, we have a year. So it rotates on its axis, I repeat, and it revolves on its orbit.

An orbit is just a circle. where the earth moves. So now the earth has got an unequal energy distribution. So the equator, remember the equator, it is this line at the middle. So this line, the equator, we can call it a zero degrees line of latitude.

Okay, we say it's a zero degrees line of latitude because it is the center of the earth and we measure all the lines of latitude from it. So it's a zero degrees line of latitude. So at the equator, the heat is greater, I can say.

So the equator is actually hot. So this place known as the equator is hot. Why is the equator hot? It is because the sun rays strike more directly. So that's the first reason we're going to give that a mark.

So the sun rays strike more directly. And then the sun rays are also concentrated on a smaller area. What does this actually mean?

If you can just look at our equator, this is my sun. You can see this is the sun and then these are the sun rays that are moving towards the earth. By the way, I've made this image especially for you so that you can see what we mean when we say that the equator is hot.

So you can see that here the sun rays are going directly to the equator, to this region. That is why it is hot. And also, these sun rays, they are concentrated on a smaller area. Just simply means that more sun rays are striking the equator when the equator is just a smaller area.

So if you can look at the poles, these poles here away from the equator, the areas away from the equator. This is the North Pole. This is the South Pole, of course.

So you can see that the sun rays are striking at a lower angle or at an oblique angle. So. You can see that there will not be that much heat.

So that is why it is cold in these regions. So we say that at the equator, it is hot. But at these regions, the polar regions, it is cold.

This is cold. But then here at the equator, it is hot. So these are the reasons for the heat, the immense heat at the equator.

So you can see that there are countries here around the equator, especially Africa. That is why Africa is the hottest continent in the entire earth. It is because Africa is closer. Most of the tropical regions are in Africa. So you can see that that is why we are black and dark.

It's because there is more sun that we are receiving. Whereas the countries that are located at the poles, the countries that are located here at the poles, those countries, they receive less heat. They receive less heat.

insulation. Remember that the sun actually travels in form of incoming solar radiation. You did this in grade 10. So insulation is just a rays, the sun rays basically. It's just the radiation from the sun.

So here there is more direct radiation but then at the poles there is what? There is less direct radiation. So it is hot at the equator.

In this case, we're here in South Africa. You can see where we are. We are closer to the poles a bit, but in South Africa, it's hot, of course. Yeah, but in countries like DRC, you're only found in the equator.

So now we say that there's an unequal energy distribution just simply because the equator is hotter than the poles. So the word unequal just means we see a ugly man, basically. OK, the other area receives more heat.

The other one receives less heat. So it's unequal energy distribution. So now this unequal energy distribution leads us to the need for an energy balance.

Okay, since we have said that the equator is more hot than the polar regions, we need some of the heat from the equator to move to the poles. Because if these polar regions, these polar regions, they do not receive heat, people will not be able to live there. There won't be an energy balance.

So to restore that energy balance, what should be done? The excess energy from the equator needs to move to the poles. This is what needs to be done.

When we say the excess energy, it just means that since the equator is receiving more heat than necessary, extra energy or extra heat from the equator is to move to these places, is to move to these cold places, is to move to the polar regions. So how does that move? The heat energy that needs to move from the equator, it moves through winds as well as...

ocean currents. Winds are not that much of a big deal because winds are just moving air. So when air moves, it actually transfers heat.

For example, when the air here at the equator moves towards the polar regions, it is actually transferring some of the heat from the equator so that there can be an energy balance. So here the winds are just moving air. that transfer heat from the equator. From this diagram, which I have taken from Via Africa, you can see that this is the equator, the zero degrees line of latitude. You can see that there are arrows moving from the equator towards the poles, and it's a written poleward transport of energy surplus.

Simply means that the surplus energy or the excess energy at the equator is being transferred to the poles because the poles, remember that they are cold and we need an energy balance. So the winds are actually transferring the heat to the poles. In this case, they are transferring them both to the North Pole as well as to the South Pole.

So we say that there is an energy surplus at the equator because there is more energy. In the poles, there is an energy deficit because there is less energy because the sun does not strike directly. So now the other thing is ocean currents. Ocean currents are also responsible for the movement of heat. So these are ocean currents.

So ocean currents are simply the movement of the surface water of oceans. So the oceans that are surrounding the land, the water on the surface can actually move from the equator towards the poles. So the oceans that are found here at the equator actually transfer the heat in form of ocean currents towards the what?

Towards the poles. So this is how there is an energy balance maintained in the earth. It is because of winds and ocean currents. So these are just the basics of geography in grade 11. Stay tuned for our next video.

Transcript for:Fundamentals of Geography for Grade 11

Transcript for:
Fundamentals of Geography for Grade 11