map basics - zeller · map basics maps are an important tool for studying the use of space on...

Map BasicsMaps are an important tool for studying the use of space on Earth. This handbook covers the basic map skills and information that geographers rely on as theyinvestigate the world—and the skills you will need as you study geography.

Mapmaking depends on surveying, or measuring andrecording the features of Earth’s surface. Until recently, this could

be undertaken only on land or sea. Today, aerialphotography and satellite imaging are the

most popular ways to gather data.

Location • An early example of a three-dimensional geographic grid. �

Human-Environment Interaction •Nigerian surveyors use a theodolite,which measures angles and distanceson Earth. �

4 UNIT 1

Location • Determining aship’s location at sea wasthe purpose of this 1750instrument, called a sextant. �

Location • Magnetic compasses, introduced by the Chinese in the 1100s, help people accurately determine directions. �

004-013_GeoHandbook 9/20/02 2:58 PM Page 4

90°W100°W110°W 80°W 70°W 50°W60°W 40°W

40°W 30°W50°W60°W70°W80°W

30°W 20°W

20°S

30°S

40°S

50°S

ATLANTICOCEAN

PACIFICOCEAN

Caribbean Sea

Par

agua

yR

iver

Amazon River

OrinocoRiver

La Paz

Caracas

Bogotá

Lima

Recife

Rio de Janeiro

Santiago

BuenosAires

AN

D

ES

MO

UN

TA

IN

SBRAZILIAN

HIGHLANDS

A M A Z O N

B A S I N

N

Commercial fishing

Farming

Hunting and gathering

Livestock ranching

Limited economic activity

Gold

Hydroelectric power

Natural gas

Petroleum

Silver

Timber

0

0 250 500 kilometers

250 500 miles

>> Reading a MapMost maps have these parts, which help you to read and understand theinformation presented.

South America’s Economic Activity

Geography Skills Handbook 5

TITLE The title indicates thesubject of the map and tells youwhat information it contains.

LABELS Labels are words orphrases that name features on the map.

SYMBOLS Symbols may stand forcapital cities, economic activities, or natural resources. Check the map legendfor more details.

COLORS Colors show a variety ofinformation on a map. The map legendtells what the colors mean.

LINES OF LONGITUDE These areimaginary lines that show distances eastor west of the prime meridian.

LINES OF LATITUDE These areimaginary lines that show distancesnorth or south of the equator.

COMPASS ROSE The compass roseshows you north (N), south (S), east (E),and west (W) on the map. Sometimesonly north is shown.

SCALE A scale compares a unitof length on the map and a unitof distance on Earth.

LEGEND A legend or key listsand explains the symbols and colors used on the map.


6 UNIT 1

>> Longitude and Latitude LinesLongitude and latitude lines appear together on a map and allow you topinpoint the absolute locations of cities and other geographic features. You express these locations as coordinates of intersecting lines. These aremeasured in degrees.

Longitude lines are imaginary lines that run north and south; they are alsoknown as meridians. They show distances in degrees east or west of the primemeridian. The prime meridian is a longitude line that runs from the North Poleto the South Pole through Greenwich, England. It marks 0° longitude.

Latitude lines are imaginary lines that run east to west around the globe;they are also known as parallels. They show distances in degrees north orsouth of the equator. The equator is a latitude line that circles Earth halfwaybetween the north and south poles. It marks 0° latitude. The tropics of Cancerand Capricorn are parallels that form the boundaries of the tropical zone, aregion that stays warm all year.

>> HemisphereHemisphere is a term for half the globe.The globe can be divided into northern and southern hemispheres (separated by the equator) or into eastern and westernhemispheres. The United States is located in the northern and western hemispheres.

>> ScaleA geographer decides what scale to use by determining how much detail to show. If many details are needed, a large scale is used. If fewer details are needed, a small scale is used.

90˚E

120˚E150˚E180˚

NorthPole

Prim

e M

erid

ian

30˚W

West Longitude East Longitude

60˚W

90˚W

120˚W150˚W

60˚E

30˚E0˚

Latitude Lines (Parallels)North Pole

90˚N

90˚SSouth Pole

Longitude Lines (Meridians)

60˚N

30˚N

0˚Equator

30˚STropic of Capricorn

Tropic of Cancer

60˚S

Dover

Wilmington

Wheaton

Essex

Towson

GaithersburgColumbia

Frederick

HagerstownBelAir

Chestertown

Centerville

Denton

Easton

Centerbridge

St.Charles

Fredericksburg

PrinceFrederick

LaPlata

AnnapolisReston

Manassas

Woodbridge

Alexandria

ArlingtonWashington, D.C.

Baltimore

Delaware R.

SusquehannaR.

doah

R.

Liberty Res.

PrettyboyRes.Potom

acR

.

Ch

esap

eake

Ba

y

DELAWARE

MARYLAN

D

MD.VA.

PENNSYLVANIAMARYLAND

95

95

97

95

66

66

70

70

83

81

81

270

495

695

695

Scale: 1:4,500,0001 inch = 70 miles

WASHINGTON, D.C., METRO AREA

0

0 35 70 kilometers

35 70 miles

501

501

1

2929

5050

50

1

1

395

395

395

395

66

The WhiteHouse

U.S.Capitol

LincolnMemorial

WashingtonMonument

ThomasJeffersonMemorial Washington Channel

PotomacRiver

TidalBasin

The Ellipse

dyBirdJohnson

Park

West Potomac Park

F.D.R. Mem.Park

Garfield Park

UnionStationPlaza

The Mall

East PotomacPark

CHINATOWN

PENNQUARTER

CAPITOLHILL

SW/WATERFRONT

Scale: 1:88,7001 inch = 1.4 miles

WASHINGTON, D.C.

0

0 0.7 1.4 kilometers

0.7 1.4 miles

Map Basics, cont.

Southern Hemisphere

Northern Hemisphere

Equator

North Pole

South Pole

WesternHemisphere

EasternHemisphere

Larger scale used, with a lot of detail. �Small scale used, without a lot of detail. �


>> ProjectionsA projection is a way of showing the curved surface of Earth on a flat map. Flat mapscannot show sizes, shapes, and directions with total accuracy. As a result, all projectionsdistort some aspect of Earth’s surface. Below are four projections.

Homolosine Projection • This projection shows land-masses shapes, and sizes accurately, but distancesare not correct. �

Robinson Projection • For textbook maps, the Robinson projection is commonly used. It shows the entire Earth, withcontinents and oceans having nearly their true sizes and shapes.However, the landmasses near the poles appear flattened. �

30°N

0°

0°90°W 90°E180°

180°

30°S

60°S

60°N

30°N

0°

0°

90°W 90°E

180°

60°N

Pacific Ocean

Atlantic

Ocean

Asi

aA

sia

AfricaAfrica

Am

ericaN

orthA

merica

North

EuropeEurope

Arctic Ocean

30°N

0°120°W

60°E

60°W

0° 120°E

180°

180°30°S

60°S

60°N30°N

0°

0°90°W 90°E180° 180°

30°S

60°S

60°N

Mercator Projection • The Mercator projection showsmost of the continents as they look on a globe.However, the projection stretches out the lands nearthe north and south poles. The Mercator projection isused for all kinds of navigation. �

Azimuthal Projection • An azimuthal projection showsEarth so that a straight line from the central point toany other point on the map corresponds to the short-est distance between the two points. Sizes and shapesof the continents are distorted. �

MAIN IDEAS1. (a) What is the longitude and latitude of your

city or town?

(b) What information is provided by the legendin the map on page 5?

(c) What is a projection? Compare and contrastthe depictons of Antarctica in the Mercatorand Robinson projections.

CRITICAL THINKING2. Making Inferences Why do you think latitude

and longitude are important to sailors?

Think Think AboutAbout• the landmarks you use to find your way

around

• the landmarks available to sailors on the ocean


I N D I A

P A K I S T A N

BANGLADESH

BHUTANNEPAL

SRI LANKAMALDIVES

Mt. Everest29,035 ft.(8,850 m)

EA

ST

E

RN

G H A T S

WE

ST

ER

NG

HA

TS

D e c c a n

P l a t e a u

HI

MA

LA

Y AM

T S.

HINDU KUSH

Laccadive Is. AndamanIs.

NicobarIs.

Gangetic

Plain

Thar Desert

.RsudnI

Ganges R.

Narmada R.

BrahmaputraR.

Ganges Delta

Godavari R.

Krishna R.

Arabian

Sea

Bay of

Bengal

I N D I A N O C E A N

80°E 90°E

Tropic of Cancer

0


25 500 miles

N

Elevation

Mountain peak

(4,000 m)(2,000 m)

(500 m)(200 m)

(0 m)Below sea level

13,100 ft.6,600 ft.1,600 ft.

650 ft.0 ft.

8 UNIT 1

South Asia: Physical

Different Types of Maps>> Physical MapsPhysical maps help you see the landforms and bodies of water in specific areas. Bystudying a physical map, you can learn the relative locations and characteristics ofplaces in a region.

On a physical map, color, shading, or contour lines are used to show elevations oraltitudes, also called relief.

Ask these questions about the physical features shown on a physical map:♦ Where on Earth’s surface is this area located?♦ What is its relative location?♦ What is the shape of the region?♦ In which directions do the rivers flow? How might the directions of flow affect

travel and transportation in the region?♦ Are there mountains or deserts? How might they affect the people living in the area?


>> Political MapsPolitical maps show features that humans have created on Earth’s surface.Included on a political map may be cities, states, provinces, territories, andcountries.

Ask these questions about the political features shown on a political map:♦ Where on Earth’s surface is this area located?♦ What is its relative location? How might a country’s location affect its

economy and its relationships with other countries?♦ What is the shape and size of the country? How might its shape and size

affect the people living in the country?♦ Who are the region’s, country’s , state’s, or city’s neighbors?♦ How populated does the area seem to be? How might that affect activities

there?

I N D I A

P A K I S T A N

BANGLADESH

BHUTAN

NEPAL

SRI LANKA

MALDIVES

Islamabad

Lahore

KathmanduNew Delhi

Kolkata(Calcutta)

Bangalore

Mumbai(Bombay)

ThimphuKanpur

Karachi

Ahmadabad

Hyderabad

Chennai(Madras)

Dhaka

Male

Colombo

.RsudnI

Ganges R. BrahmaputraR.

Godavari R.

Bay of

Bengal

Arabian

Sea

I N D I A N O C E A N

Laccadive Is.(Ind.)

Andaman Is.(Ind.)

Nicobar Is.(Ind.)

SumatraI.

80°E 90°E

Tropic of Cancer

0


25 500 miles

National capital

Other city

N

South Asia: Political



10 UNIT 1

>> Thematic MapsGeographers also rely on thematic maps, which focus on specific ideas. For example, in thistextbook you will see thematic maps that show climates, types of vegetation, naturalresources, population densities, and economic activities. Some thematic maps showhistorical trends; others may focus on movements of people or ideas. Thematic maps maybe presented in a variety of ways.

Qualitative Maps On a qualitative map,colors, symbols, dots, or lines are used to helpyou see patterns related to a specific idea. Themap shown here depicts the influence of theRoman Empire on Europe, North Africa, andSouthwest Asia.

Use the suggestions below to help youinterpret the map.♦ Check the title to identify the theme and

the data being presented.♦ Carefully study the legend to understand

the theme and the information presented.♦ Look at the physical or political features of

the area. How might the theme of the mapaffect them?

♦ What are the relationships among the data?

Cartograms A cartogram presentsinformation about countries other than theirshapes and sizes. The size of each country isdetermined by the data being presented, notits actual land size. On the cartogram shownhere, the countries, sizes show the amounts of their oil reserves.

Use the suggestions below to help youinterpret the map.♦ Check the title and the legend to identify

the data being presented.♦ Look at the relative sizes of the countries

shown. Which is the largest?♦ Which countries are smallest?♦ How do the sizes of these countries on a

physical map differ from their sizes in the cartogram?

♦ What are the relationships among the data?

Rhine

R.

Danube R.Rome

A T L A N T I C

O C E A N

N o r t hS e a

Black Sea

Red Sea

M e d i t e r r a n e a n S e a

40°N

30°N

20°N

0

0 500 1,000 kilometers

500 1,000 miles

Azimuthal Equidistant Projection

Christian areas around A.D. 500

Romance language spoken, present day

Boundary of Roman Empire, A.D. 395

N

S

EW

Cultural Legacy of the Roman Empire

SAUDIARABIA

IRAQ

CHINA

AUSTRALIA

QATAR

OMANYEMEN

1. KAZAKHSTAN2. AZERBAIJAN

BRUNEI

INDONESIA

MALAYSIA

INDIA1

2

ROMANIARUSSIA

KUWAIT

U.A.E.

IRAN

VENEZUELA

BRAZIL

ARGENTINA

ECUADOR

MEXICO

UNITEDSTATES

CANADA

COLOMBIA

UNITEDKINGDOM

ALGERIA

ANGOLAREP. OFCONGO

GABON

LIBYA

NIGERIA

EGYPT

NORWAY

SYRIA

Each square equals 1 billion barrels

1–10 billion barrels



100+ billion barrels

Oil Reserves Cartogram

Different Types of Maps, cont.



Flow-Line Maps Flow-line mapsillustrate movements of people,goods, or ideas. The movements areusually shown by series of arrows.Locations, directions, and scopes ofmovement can be seen. The width of an arrow may show how extensivea flow is. Often the information isrelated to a period of time. The mapshown here portrays the movementof the Bantu peoples in Africa.

Use the suggestions below to helpyou interpret the map.♦ Check the title and the legend to

identify the data being presented.♦ Over what period of time did the

movement occur?♦ In what directions did the

movement occur?♦ How extensive was the

movement?A

D5

00

–1

00

0

INDIANOCEANATLANTIC

OCEAN

LakeVictoria

LakeNyasa

LakeTanganyika

Congo River

Lim

popo R.

Orange R .

Za

mbezi R.

KALAHARIDESERT

CENTRALAFRICAN

RAIN FOREST

NA

MIB

DE

SE

RT

0° Equator

20°S

20°E0°

Tropic of Capricorn

2000 BC

20

00

BC

AD

1–

50

0

AD 1 –500

AD

1–

50

0A

D5

00

–1

00

0Original

Bantu Area

0

0 500 1,000 kilometers

500 1,000 miles

Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection

N

S

EW

Desert

Tropical rain forest

Migration route

1. In what direction does the Ganges Riverflow?

2. Kathmandu is the capital of which SouthAsian nation?

3. Which city is closer to the Thar Desert—Lahore, Pakistan, or New Delhi, India?

4. Why are only a few nations shown in thecartogram?

5. Which kind of thematic map would bebest for showing the locations of climatezones?

Use pages 8–11 to help you answer these questions. Use the mapson pages 8–9 to answer questions 1–3.

Exploring Local Geography Obtain a physical-politicalmap of your state. Use the data on it to create two separate maps.One should show physical features only, and the other should showpolitical features only.

Bantu Migration


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