AOHT Geography for Tourism Unit 3, Lesson 5 The Wide World of Maps Copyright © 2007–2015 NAF. All rights reserved.

Maps tell us how people see and organize the world When we look at ancient maps now, they look totally inaccurate. But they give us a good idea of how those people and cultures saw the world. Today, we have many different types of maps, which allow us to organize the world in many different ways. What kind of map do you think this is?

The road map is one of the most common types People use road maps to figure out how to get from one place to another. In recent years, road maps have taken on new formats. Can you identify the item in the picture next to this box? Do you know how it works? How is it like a map?

Political maps identify territorial borders A political map shows the boundaries of different countries. Can you name one reason why a political map might change?

Topographic maps show physical geography Topographic maps show the physical contours and elevations of the earth, particularly mountain ranges. The map below shows the topography around the Black Sea. How do you think topographical maps identify different levels of elevation?

Climate maps track weather patterns The map below shows worldwide patterns for precipitation (rain, sleet, snow, etc.). What other information do you think a climate map might show?

Economic maps track financial and economic information This map shows the GRP, or gross regional product, of various regions of Sweden. Why do you think it might be helpful to track economic data on a map?

Population maps tell you where it’s crowded This map shows the population density of Los Angeles County, California. Look closely at the map. What other features are included besides the population? Why would those features be important?

Language maps show the distribution of languages This map of the Middle East shows the variety of languages spoken in and around Iran. Why would it be helpful to track language use on a map?

This is how we see the world today How many continents do you think there are in the world? How many countries?

Tourism maps highlight key tourist destinations Would the map on the left be useful if the streets were not labeled? How might the above map be used by a tourist?