How to label your world map (easy steps for a 7-year-old)

You will label the 7 continents, the 5 oceans, and draw the Equator and Prime Meridian. Get a pencil, colored pens or crayons, and stickers if you like. Follow these simple steps.

1. Find the middle of the map.

   Look for the center from left to right and top to bottom. The Equator is a straight horizontal line across the middle. The Prime Meridian is a vertical line that goes from top to bottom near the middle of the map (it passes through western Europe and western Africa).

2. Draw the Equator.

   Draw a horizontal line across the middle of the map. Write "Equator (0° latitude)" next to it. The Equator splits the Earth into the Northern Hemisphere (top) and the Southern Hemisphere (bottom).

3. Draw the Prime Meridian.

   Draw a vertical line from top to bottom that goes through the middle-right area of the map (it should go through about the right side of the island of Great Britain and down through western Africa). Write "Prime Meridian (0° longitude)" next to it. The Prime Meridian splits the Earth into the Eastern Hemisphere (right) and Western Hemisphere (left).

4. Label the continents. Put these names where described:
   • North America — top-left part of the map (big land in the northwest).
   • South America — below North America on the left (a triangle-shaped land pointing down).
   • Africa — near the center, below Europe and right of South America (a roundish shape pointing down).
   • Europe — a small area above Africa and left of Asia (top-center-right).
   • Asia — the largest continent on the right-top side of the map (it stretches far to the right).
   • Australia — a small continent near the bottom-right (below Asia and to the right of Africa).
   • Antarctica — along the very bottom edge of the map (a long icy continent across the bottom).
5. Label the oceans. Put these names in the big blue spaces between continents:
   • Pacific Ocean — the big ocean on the far left and also on the far right edges of the map (it wraps around the left and right sides).
   • Atlantic Ocean — between the Americas (left) and Europe/Africa (right), near the middle-left of the map.
   • Indian Ocean — between Africa (left), Asia (top), and Australia (right), toward the bottom-right of center.
   • Arctic Ocean — at the top of the map above North America, Europe, and Asia.
   • Southern Ocean (also called the Antarctic Ocean) — the ocean surrounding Antarctica at the bottom of the map.
6. Check your map:

   Make sure the Equator is across the middle and labeled, and the Prime Meridian is vertical through Europe and Africa and labeled. Each continent and ocean should be written in the area described above.

Simple tips

• Use different colors: e.g., green for continents, blue for oceans, red for the Equator, and black for the Prime Meridian.
• Put a small sticker or draw a dot where the Prime Meridian crosses the Equator (that is the point 0° latitude, 0° longitude — in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa).
• If you get stuck, look at a classroom globe or a printed world map to compare locations.

Short word meanings

• Continent: A very big piece of land (like Africa or Asia).
• Ocean: A very big area of salt water (like the Pacific Ocean).
• Equator: The imaginary line around the middle of Earth (0° latitude).
• Prime Meridian: The imaginary line from top to bottom that is 0° longitude (goes through Greenwich, England).

Have fun labeling! If you want, tell me which part you find tricky and I can make a small drawing that matches your map.