Section 2 of the Geography Handbook
LEARNING MAP BASICS
Why do we use maps?
make maps to organize our knowledge about the world, or a certain place. Back in the day, (WAY BACK IN THE DAY), mapmakers had to actually travel along coasts & borders to find out how a place looked.
We
Today,
mapmakers use a variety of tools to make maps. The biggest technological advancement in mapmaking has to be the SATELITE.
Computers,
here on Earth send a signal to a satellite orbiting Earth to tell it what to look at. The Satellite takes the pictures/video and sends it back to the computer on Earth
Geographers
and Mapmakers use computers with special software known as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS allows each “layer” of special information to be kept separately and views either separately or together.
HOW TO READ A MAP
map reading is pretty simple, but some maps can be a little trickier. Let’s take a look at some of the basic parts of a map. The first think to look at is the MAP KEY. A MAP KEY explains the lines, symbols, and colors used on a map.
Most
The
next important part of a map is the Compass Rose. The Compass Rose tells you where the Cardinal Directions -North, South, East, & West, are. An Intermediate Direction, such as Southeast, may also be on the Compass Rose.
A
you already know, just like a Globe, maps have lines of latitude and longitude. Most maps also have a Scale Bar. A Scale Bar helps determine real distance on Earth that is represented on the map.
KINDS OF MAPS
There
are numerous types of maps. Maps that show a wide range of information are called General Purpose Maps. Two of the most common general purpose maps are Political Maps and Physical Maps
Political Maps
Political
Maps show names and boundaries of countries& cities and often identify major physical features.
Physical Maps
Physical
Maps on the other hand show landforms and water features. These types of things are known as Physical Features.
There
are also specific kinds of those types of maps as well. One popular kind of physical map is a Contour Map. They usually have contour lines-one line for each major level of elevation. All the land at that elevation is connected to that line. If the different leveled lines are close together then the elevation change is steep. If they are further apart, it is more gradual. (See page 12 of your text)
Special Purpose Maps
Special
Purpose Maps can present specific kinds of information about a place. You name it, you could make a special purpose map about it. Climate, natural resources, population density, historical information, anything!