Geography
Our planet, countries, climate and nature
You will learn how our planet is built and how it moves, how to read maps and coordinates, and how landforms, climate, water and natural zones are formed. Then you will connect this knowledge with continents, countries and population, and with the nature and economy of Azerbaijan.
28 lessons6 modules≈ 9.4 hGrades 5–11BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedUniversity
Course content
17 lessons
Planet Earth and maps
BeginnerThe Earth's shape and motions, maps, scale, geographic coordinates and time zones.
- 1Earth’s shape, size and rotationLearn the Earth’s shape and size and the evidence for them, how the Earth spins from west to east, and what follows from it: day and night, time differences, the deflection of moving bodies and the speed of rotation at different latitudes.Grades 5–618 min
- 2Earth’s orbit, the noon Sun angle and illumination beltsLearn about Earth’s orbit, the real cause of the seasons, solstices and equinoxes; calculate the noon Sun angle with h = 90° − |φ − δ|, find the latitude from an angle, and explain polar day and night and the five illumination belts.Grades 6–825 min
- 3Maps and scaleLearn how a globe, a plan and a map differ, the types of maps, the three forms of scale, map symbols and ways of showing information, and how to calculate distances, scales and areas.Grades 5–620 min
- 4Plans of an area, azimuth and contour linesLearn to read and draw a plan of an area, find directions, work out azimuths and back azimuths, read heights from contour lines, find the relative height of a hill and build an A–B relief profile.Grades 6–725 min
- 5Latitude and longitudeGet to know the grid of parallels and meridians and learn to find the geographic coordinates of any place.Grades 5–614 min
- 6The degree grid and distance calculationsLearn to turn degrees into kilometres along meridians and parallels: 1° of a meridian is 111 km, while 1° of a parallel depends on the latitude. Find the shortest route over a pole, the size of Azerbaijan and a map’s scale from the degree grid.Grades 6–725 min
- 7Local time and time zonesLearn how the Earth’s rotation is linked to time, how time zones are numbered from 0 to XXIII, the difference between local, zone and official time, how the date line works, and how to solve DİM-style time problems.Grade 622 min
23 lessons
Lithosphere and atmosphere
IntermediateThe Earth's interior, lithospheric plates, earthquakes and volcanoes, landforms, weather and climate zones.
- 8The Earth's interior and plate tectonicsMeet continental and oceanic crust, the mantle and the core; learn the names of the lithospheric plates, the types of plate boundaries and the landforms they create, and what causes earthquakes and volcanoes.Grades 6–720 min
- 9Landforms: mountains and plainsLearn what relief is, which forces shape it, how plains and mountains are classified by height, and what the ocean floor looks like.Grade 613 min
- 10Atmosphere, weather and climateLearn what the atmosphere is made of, how temperature and pressure change with height, how weather differs from climate, and what the climate zones are.Grades 6–715 min
33 lessons
Hydrosphere, biosphere and the world
IntermediateThe World Ocean, rivers and lakes, natural zones, continents, countries and world population.
- 11The hydrosphere: oceans, rivers and lakesLearn how water is shared out on Earth and how the water cycle works; explore the four oceans, seas, straits and islands, salinity and echo-sounder calculations, rivers and the world’s largest lake, the Caspian Sea.Grades 6–722 min
- 12The biosphere and natural zonesFind out what the biosphere is and how natural zones change from the equator to the poles and from the foot of a mountain to its top.Grade 714 min
- 13Continents, countries and world populationCompare the continents and parts of the world, meet the largest countries and learn to calculate population density.Grades 7–814 min
45 lessons
Geography of Azerbaijan
AdvancedAzerbaijan's relief, rivers, climate, natural resources and economic regions.
- 14Azerbaijan: location and an overview of its natureA short overview of Azerbaijan's location and neighbours, its main mountains and lowlands, the Kura and Araz rivers, the main features of its climate and its protected areas.Grade 816 min
- 15Geology, minerals and mineral waters of AzerbaijanAzerbaijan’s five tectonic zones by their DİM names, the age of its rocks, mud volcanoes, mineral deposits with their districts and mineral springs, with DİM-style tasks.Grades 8–1025 min
- 16Relief of AzerbaijanRanges and peaks of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, Talysh and Nakhchivan, the plains of the Kura–Aras Lowland, exogenic landforms, landslides and mudflows, with DİM-style map and matching tasks.Grades 8–1025 min
- 17Climate of AzerbaijanWhat shapes the climate, how radiation, temperature and precipitation are spread, air masses and local winds, the 4 climate types and 9 subtypes used by DİM, and climate diagrams of five cities.Grades 8–1025 min
- 18Natural resources and Azerbaijan's economyLearn the types of natural resources and sectors of the economy, and explore Azerbaijan's oil, gas and other resources and its economic regions.Grades 9–1016 min
55 lessons
The world: population, economy and environment
AdvancedPopulation and urbanisation, the world economy, world regions, environmental problems, map projections, GPS and GIS.
- 19Population and urbanisationLearn the demographic transition model, population pyramids, migration and urbanisation, and calculate natural increase and doubling time.Grades 8–917 min
- 20The world economy: sectors, energy, transportLearn the four sectors of the economy, energy resources, agriculture, the factors behind where industry is located, world transport and globalisation.Grades 9–1017 min
- 21Regions of the worldCompare the nature, population and key countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, and learn to find them on the map.Grades 8–916 min
- 22Global environmental problems and the CaspianStudy climate change, deforestation, desertification, water scarcity, pollution and the changing level of the Caspian Sea through facts and calculations.Grades 10–1118 min
- 23Map projections, GPS and GISLearn what distortions appear when a sphere is flattened into a map, how satellite navigation works, what remote sensing is and how geographic information systems use layers.Grades 10–1117 min
65 lessons
University geography
UniversityGeomorphology, climatology, hydrology and oceanography, theories of human and economic geography, geopolitics and sustainable development — with formulas and calculations.
- 24Geomorphology: the processes that shape landformsStudy endogenous and exogenous processes, weathering, erosion, stream power, isostasy and models of landform evolution with formulas and calculations.24 min
- 25Climatology: energy balance, circulation, Köppen classificationStudy the Earth's radiation balance, the general circulation of the atmosphere, lapse rates, humidity and the Köppen climate classification with formulas, calculations and Python code.25 min
- 26Hydrology and oceanographyStudy the water cycle budget, residence times, measuring river discharge, the Manning equation, ocean currents and tides with formulas and calculations.24 min
- 27Theories of human and economic geographyStudy central place theory, von Thünen's and Weber's location theories, the gravity model, the rank-size rule and demographic formulas through calculations.25 min
- 28Geopolitics and sustainable developmentStudy borders, the law of the sea, shared resources, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Human Development Index and Azerbaijan's role in transport corridors.24 min