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Terms to Know
Globe - a 3-dimensional (LxWxH) representation of the Earth.
Map - a 2-dimensional (LxW) representation of the Earth or place.
Cartographer - a fancy word for map maker.
Distortion - changing something from its true, natural, or original state, twisting its meaning, shape, or sound to make it seem strange, unclear, or false. Maps are distorted in size, shape, area, direction, and/or distance.
GPS - Global Positioning System - a highly accurate satellite-based navigation and location system.
GIS - Geographic Information System - digital maps - is a computer system for analyzing geographical data. It is capable of capturing, storing, manipulating, analyzing, and displaying data in two- or three-dimensional maps.
I. Why Maps? - Maps are an important part of everyday life.
Maps give us an idea of our place in the world. A map shows a large area through pictures. It could be of the Earth's surface, the night sky, the ocean, the Moon's surface, or even another another planet.
Maps are also called cartograms and they are made by cartographers.
Usually a map is in shown in two dimensions. In other words, it is drawn on a flat surface. Because of this, they cannot be exact and have distortion. The Earth is a curved sphere, shaped sort of like a ball, which is three dimensional (3-D), and mapping it on a two dimensional flat (2-D) sheet of paper causes some distortion making all world maps wrong.
3. Which is better; Globes or Maps?
II. Globes vs Maps
Globes help to solve that problem. A globe shows a planet or other large area as a sphere. It is usually mounted on an axle so you can spin it around. A globe can show how a planet truly looks.
Maps and globes are tools for planning trips, learning about faraway places, and studying movements of people, goods and information. Like anything else human-made, maps may have bias and can be misleading. They may not always represent the truth because of distortion. All maps have distortion. The distortion may be in size, shape, area, distance, and direction (SSADD).
Advantages of globes
Advantages of globes
Globes are more expensive than maps and clunkier. Could you imagine carrying a globe in your pocket or backpack like you would a map? However, globes give a closer representation of what the Earth really looks like. A globe is a spherical model of the Earth or other celestial body. Globes are 3-D models of the Earth and have no distortion like maps.
Globes also show how Earth is tilted. This is related to how long the days and seasons are. In a dark room, a person can shine a flashlight on one side of a globe. This demonstrates how sunlight reaches half the tilted Earth while leaving the rest in shadow, depending on the season.
Map and globe orientation
Map and globe orientation
People often think that the top of a map should point north. However, where a map is centered is a choice, not a law. The person drawing the map gets to decide how it is centered. Ash-Sharif al-Idrisi was a cartographer (map-maker) in the 1100s. He placed south at the top of the map. Many old European maps faced toward the east, out of the belief that the Holy Land in Jerusalem, Israel, was the most important area in the world.
Many smartphones have map applications on them. They allow the user to change the way the map is oriented.
4. What is the difference between a paper map and a digital map?
III. Paper (Analog) maps vs Digital Maps
The primary difference between analog and digital maps lies in their format and functionality:
Analog (Paper) Maps: These are traditional, physical maps printed on paper. They are static, meaning they cannot be easily updated or altered. Analog maps are limited in interactivity and rely on the user’s manual interpretation of symbols and scales.
2. Digital Maps: These are electronic maps displayed on devices like computers, smartphones, or GPS (Global Positioning System) units. They are dynamic, allowing real-time updates and interactivity, such as zooming, searching, and layering different types of data. Digital maps can integrate with technologies like GPS to provide navigation and live information.
You have probably used digital maps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps, and/or Bing Maps on your phone or other device. Some businesses and organizations use special mapping software called Geographic Information Systems or GIS like ArcGIS or QGIS to anyalze issues and solve social and/or health issues.
Overall, digital maps offer greater versatility, while analog maps are straightforward but lack the adaptability of digital formats.
5. Parts of a map include?
III. Reading a map
III. Reading a map
Map styles and symbols change from place to place. Most published maps share details in common. Maps should have a date to show when they are published. That way, people know the map is still correct.
Maps usually have names of places or labels. They have a scale, which helps us to understand how a distance on the map compares with the real world. They usually have symbols, too, like stars or black lines, which stand for something else. A good map has a guide to symbols, called a key or legend, to explain what the symbols mean.
There should be an arrow pointing north, or a compass rose that shows the four main directions we travel: north, south, east, west.
IV. Parts of a Map (see the thematic map below)
Map body - The main drawing of the area you are showing on your map.
Legend (key) - The legend is a guide to the map. It helps the reader understand what special parts, or features, on the map mean. Sometimes, shaded parts of the map represent different types of land. For example, a shaded area might represent grasslands or a forest.
Title - Like the title of a book, the map title states what the map shows. A good title includes the location of the map and its main focus.
North Arrow - shows which way is north. This helps the user know which way is south, east and west. Many maps have north pointing toward the direction of the top of the page. Sometimes, map makers use a compass rose to indicate direction.
Scale - the scale on a map is the ratio of a distance on the map to the same distance in the real world. It's usually written as a fraction or ratio, like 1:24,000.
Citation - where the map data came from; the source of the data.
Border - also called the neatline.
Locator - some maps include a locator that has a "larger" image showing the location of the place being mapped.
Other
Symbols & Labels - Maps often use symbols and labels to show features like rivers or mountains. A symbol is an image that represents a feature, building, road and more. For example, a map might use lines to represent rivers. Or, it might use triangles to represent mountains. Symbols and labels can also be used to represent important features or places of interest, such as a parking spot, restrooms, or a famous statue. Symbols are usually identified in the legend.
Grid - many maps have a grid system to help find places.
5. Why do maps have a grid?
V. Grids
V. Grids
Some maps will have a grid. A grid is a network of lines that cross each other to form a series of squares. It helps us easily find things on a map.
A grid map might have letters across the top (A, B, C, etc.) and numbers on the side (1, 2, 3, etc.). Let's say you are looking at a map of your city and looking for a famous statue. The map might list that statue in the area "B4." You can trace down from the B and across from the 4 to find the statue. Most tourist maps and road maps use this kind of basic grid.
6. What is scale on a map?
VI. Scale
VI. Scale
To be most useful, a map must show locations and distances accurately on a sheet of paper of convenient size. This means that everything included in the map ground area, distance, rivers, lakes, roads, and so on must be shown proportionately smaller than it really is. The proportion chosen for a particular map is its scale. There is no perfect map scale. It must carefully balance two things: the desire to show details while covering as much area as possible. The scale usually depends on what the mapmaker, or cartographer, wants to show.
7. Maps are also called?
8. A map maker is called?
6. The proportion of a size of a place in real life compared to the size of a place on a map is called?
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