Map and Globe
What is a Map ?
A map is a symbolic representation of selected characteristics of a place, usually drawn on a flat surface. Maps present information about the world in a simple, visual way. They teach about the world by showing sizes and shapes of countries, locations of features, and distances between places. Maps can show distributions of things over Earth, such as settlement patterns.
Difference between a Map and a Globe
Importance of a Map
1. Universality: A map is used not only by a geographer, but also by people from various other professions. Thus it has a universal value.
2. Main tool of geographers: A map is the main tool of a geographer. An idea about the geographical aspects of any region Of the world can be made using maps.
3. Administrative work: A map is necessary For for several administrative purposes. For example, a cadastral map is of utmost importance in the collection of land revenue and taxes.
4. Defence purposes: Military personnel plan their routes in any region using the map of that part. Topographical maps play a major role in this respect.
Besides, maps are of great use to tourists visiting unknown areas.
Types of Map
There are three different types of maps:
Physical map
This map represents the physical landscape (features) of a particular place. The features are represented with varied colours; for example, rivers, lakes, oceans, seas and other water bodies are represented with blue colour and elevations like mountains, plateaus and hills are shown with different colours and shades.
Political map
It does not show geographical features. It shows the political boundaries of a particular place, e.g. national and state boundaries of a place. These boundaries depict the locations of cities as per the details given on the map.
3. Thematic map
This map focuses on one specific theme, which could be rivers, roads, highways, airports or railways.
4. Topographic Map
Topographic maps are similar to physical maps, which show the physical features of an area. Although in topographic maps, differences in elevation and changes in landscape are shown with the help of contour lines and not colors.
5. Climatic Map
A climatic map shows the information about the climate of different areas.
For example it shows areas which receive more rainfall or snow, or which have dry weather.
It uses colors to depict areas with different climate.
6. Economic or Resource Map
Economic or resource maps show the different resources present in the area or economic activity prevalent.
They show the kind of crops that are grown and the minerals found in places.
Elements of a Map
Direction
Direction is the particular way to get from one place to another.
The map with the arrowhead shows the north direction, while the bottom of the map shows the south direction. Towards the right is the east and the west lies towards the left.
Other four intermediate directions are north-east (NE),
southeast (SE), south-west (SW) and north-west (NW).
We can locate any place more accurately with the help of
these intermediate directions.
If no arrow is present, take the top as north, north direction, while the bottom of the map shows the south direction. Towards the right is the east and the west lies towards the left.
Scales
The map scale explains the relationship of the data frame extent to the real world. The description is a ratio. This can be shown either as a unit to unit or as one measurement to another measurement.
Therefore a scale showing a 1:10,000 scale means that every one paper map unit represents 10,000 real world units.
The second method of depicting scale is a comparison with different unit types.
For example, 1″:100′ means that every inch measure on the paper map represents 100 feet in the real world.
This ratio is the same as 1:1200 (1 foot = 12 inches). In addition to text representation as described above, the ratio can be shown graphically in the form of a scale bar.
Colours
Colours play a significant role in maps. They make maps attractive to look at and easy to understand and interpret.
On physical maps, The different colours are conventionally used in this way:
Blue : water bodies such as oceans, seas, bays, gulfs, lakes, rivers, streams.
Green : lowlands or plains, both coastal and those built by rivers.
Brown : hills, mountains, plateaus.
Yellow : hot deserts.
White : cold deserts, snow-covered regions.
Symbols
Map symbols are used to represent various geographic features on a map. They can be pictorial, abstract, or both. Maps contain symbols that represent natural and man-made features such as roads, bodies of water, and towns and villages. Some maps also contain symbols for different land use categories such as forests, farmland, and urban areas.
These symbols provide a lot of information in a limited space.
Legend
A legend or key of a map explain the symbols that are used on it to represent various physical and cultural features.
Every map has a legend or a key which explains the different colours and symbols used in it.
They are depicted by using certain colours, symbols or letters.
Directions
Cardinal points : The four main directions - North, South, East and West - are known as cardinal points.
Intermediate points - Points that occur in between two cardinal points are known as intermediate points.
Northeast, Southeast, Northwest and Southwest are intermediate points.
Types of Scales in a Map
There are three types of scales commonly used on maps:
● Verbal Scale
● Graphic or Linear scale
● Representative Fraction (RF)
A written or verbal scale uses words to describe the relationship between the map and the landscape it depicts such as one inch represents one mile. A map reader would use a ruler to measure the distances between places.
A graphic scale is a bar marked off like a ruler with labels outlining the distances the segments represent. Just as you would with a written or verbal scale to measure distance with this type of scale you would use a ruler.
A fractional scale, typically represented as a ratio (1/50,000 or 1:50,000), indicates that one unit (inch, centimeter, football field or pitch, etc.) on the map represents the second number of that same unit on Earth. So if the ratio was 1:50,000 one centimeter on the map would represent 50,000 centimeters (500 meters) in real life.
Conventional Symbols
Conventional Signs and Symbols
Symbols provide a lot of information in a limited space. All the maps have a universal language that can be understood by everyone. There exists an international agreement regarding the use of these symbols in the map. These are called conventional symbols.
Conclusion
It was a wonderful and learning experience for me while working on this project. I tried my best to include all the necessary points that are required related to the given topic. Some of the information I wrote in the project were taken from the internet and I have also referred to some books. I do hope that my project will be interesting and may be even knowledgeable.
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