Map Skills
Social Studies
Parts of a Map
There are 5 main parts of a map:
•The Title
•The Compass Rose
•The Map Key
•The Scale
• Longitude/Latitude Lines (Grid System)
The Title
The title of the map
is usually at the top
and describes the
topic of the map
Example: The title
of this map is
“British Empire –
1900.”
The Compass Rose
The compass rose is
the symbol on a map
that shows the 4 NW NE
cardinal directions
(North, South, East,
and West) and the 4
intermediate directions
(Northeast, Northwest, SW SE
Southeast, and
Southwest.)
The Map Key
The map key is the
part of the map that
describes what various
symbols and colors on
a map mean.
Example: On this map,
the red line indicates
the Trans-Siberian
railroad, the black line
is a national boundary,
and a black dot is a
city.
The Map Key
On this map,
different colors are
used to show
different things.
Example: the
lavender color
shows where the
Han people live.
The red color
shows where the
Mao people live.
The Scale
The scale is the part
of the map that
compares a distance
on the map to its
actual distance in
the real world.
Example: On this
map, 1 inch is equal
to 100 miles.
Types of Maps
There are many different kinds of
maps, depending on what the map is
to be used for.
Examples:
1. A map showing the 50 states of the
United States
2. A road map of New Hampshire
3. A map of Pennichuck Middle School
Political Maps
Political maps show
man-made
boundaries between
countries and states.
The capital city of
each country is
designated by a
circle with a star
inside.
Physical Maps
Physical maps show
natural features such as
rivers, lakes, oceans,
plateaus, mountains,
and peninsulas.
Elevation (height of the
land above sea level) is
also shown with the use
of different colors.
Climate Map
A climate map uses
various colors to show
different types of climate
(the weather throughout
the year.)
Example: On this map
the dark green color
represents a tropical wet
climate. Blue is a marine
climate
Vegetation Maps
Vegetation is the
natural plant life of the
area.
Example: On this map
turquoise area is
coniferous (evergreen)
forest. The beige area
is desert scrub.
Natural Resource Map
A natural resource map
uses symbols to show
where resources such
as minerals and plant
products are located.
Example: The cart with
a “c” on it represents
coal. The coiled wire
represents copper.
Population Distribution Map
In this map, different colors
are used to show the
population density (the
number of people per
square mile.) Symbols are
used to show the
population of major cities.
Example: The purple areas
have a high population
density (over 520 people
per square mile – very
crowded!) A represents
a city with over 5 million
people.
Road Map
Road maps are used for
traveling.
Names and types of
highways and roads are
indicated.
Distances between cities
are labeled on the map
also.
Example: The cities of
Joshua and Kitson are 14
miles apart and are
connected by Highway 31.
Historical Maps
Historical maps are
used to show where
things were at a certain
time in history.
Example: On this map,
the gold area is the
extent of Asoka’s
Empire. The orange
arrows show the path
of the Aryan invasion.
Finding Location on a Map
To find locations on a
map, a grid system is
used. This can either
be a grid with
numbers and letters
on a street map, or
the latitude and
longitude system used
for larger areas.
Using a Grid
This type of grid is
called a map index.
There are letters
down the left and
numbers across the
top.
Example: To locate
Miles City, go to C
and then 2. You
should find it in the
square where the
two meet.
Using latitude and longitude
To find locations for
larger areas such as
countries or
continents, latitude
and longitude are
used.
This is a giant grid
where degrees are
used.
Latitude
The equator is 0°
(degrees), and is the
starting place for
measuring latitude, the
distance north or south
of the equator.
Example: A city on this
line is said to be
located at 40° S.
Longitude
The Prime Meridian
is 0° (degrees) and
is the starting place
of measuring
longitude, the
distance east or
west of this.
Example: A city on
this line is said to be
located at 20° W.
Put them both together!
By using lines of
latitude and
longitude, you can
give the absolute
location of any place
on earth.
Example: A city here
is located at 20° S,
60° W.
The End!
This is a revised power point based on an original by Mrs. Ancelet