All About Maps

Please copy all notes written RED

Learning Targets:

Describe the characteristics and uses of various types of maps, for example:

—political —physical —elevation/topographic —population, population density —natural resource —precipitation, climate • Use a map key/legend, symbols, distance scale, and

boundaries to interpret a map. • Use a compass rose and cardinal or intermediate directions to

interpret a map. • Identify all U.S. states by shape and position on a map.

What is a political map?

Political maps are designed to - Show governmental boundaries of

countries, states, and counties, Show the location of major cities, They usually include significant bodies of

water. Bright colors are often used to help the user

find the borders.

Example of a political map.

What is a physical map?

Physical maps are designed to show the physical features of an area

(location of landforms like deserts, mountains and plains.)

country borders major cities significant bodies of water On the linked map in the next slide, note the

Pyrenees Mountains, the mountains in central France and the Alps. These types of landforms are not included on political maps.

Physical Map

What is an elevation or topographic map? The shape of the earth’s surface is shown

with contour lines. Contours are imaginary lines that join points

of equal elevation on the surface of the land above or below a reference surface, such as mean sea level.

Contours make it possible to measure the height of mountains, depths of the ocean bottom, and steepness of slopes.

Louisiana topographic map. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/united_states/louisiana_mo_91.jpg

What are natural resources?

This site gives us some answers: “Natural Resources come from nature and are

used to make things that we need.” http://www.sfenvironment.com/aboutus/school/

resources/natural.pdf They are “materials or substances such as minerals,

forests, water, and fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain.” Oxford Press Dictionary

Example of a natural resource map

Natural Resource Map

Climate Map of the World

Map Legend

A map legend is like a Key to the meaning of The map. It tells what All the symbols mean

Compose Rose http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/printouts/compassrose.shtml

A compass rose is a figure on a compass, map, nautical chart, or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions—North, East, South, and West—and their intermediate points. See if you canFigure out the abbreviations that would go in the other rectangles that represent the other cardinal and intermediate directions.