De Geograaf (The Geographer) by JOHANNES VERMEER - 1669 Geography Tools De Geograaf (The Geographer) by JOHANNES VERMEER - 1669

Geography Tools Geographers use all sorts of tools to help them investigate their questions. Some common tools they use are:

Maps A map is a flat representation of a part of Earth.

Image courtesy of TeXample.net Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Maps Geographers use many types of maps Maps can show lots of different information, including locations of places in the world. Maps use projection to display a round object (Earth) on a flat surface (map) Cartographers (map makers) have long struggled to find the most accurate projection to use on maps. Image courtesy of TeXample.net Creative Commons Attribution 2.5

25 Maps to better understand the World 4 Most Popular Sports in the World Questions: Which sport is the world’s most popular? In what regions does it dominate? How do you explain the popularity of other sports in various nations?

Atlas An atlas is a book of maps.

Atlas An atlas contains maps of the world or a region of the world Some atlases also include more information about the places they include in the maps Atlases can be very helpful for traveling, instead of bringing many maps, you can bring one atlas.

Globes A globe is a model of the Earth used to avoid distortion.

Globes A globe is round, so it is an accurate representation of Earth. The globe provides an accurate scale of how far apart locations are A globe can be used to compare the size of different locations

Aerial Photography Aerial photographs are photographs taken from the sky and used to take measurements or create maps

Aerial Photographs Aerial photographs can be taken from airplanes, balloons, or even kites. http://www.earthexplorer.usgs.gov

Satellite Photographs Satellite photos are like aerial photos but taken from space.

Information Graphics Information graphics or infographics are visual representations of data.

Information Graphics Infographics show information using pictures or symbols They can be as simple as a bar graph or they can be very complex.

GIS (Geographic Information System) GIS is a computer based program used to store, manage, and analyze data.

GIS (Geographic Information System) A GIS map is more than a map because it can pull up a lot of information Geographers use GIS to help make decisions. The GIS helps geographers see how information relates to locations.

GIS Imagine you wanted to make sure schools were not near any factories that might pollute the air With a GIS mapping, geographers can use the database (place that stores information) to show where all the schools are and also show where all the the factories are located.

Globe Strengths + Accurate model of earth (same shape). + Shows continents and oceans as they really are (accurate shape) + Shows accurate distance  

Globe Weaknesses Can’t show much detail Too big to be useful for everyday use. Can only see ½ of the globe at a time.

Map Strengths + Easy to use/Can be carried around + Can show a lot of information + Many different types  

Map Weaknesses Maps are FLAT; Earth is ROUND ALL maps have distortion. Distortion is worse near the poles