Map Types Assignment Answer Key

How does it distort different countries size on the map? In the past the Mercator projection map upset many tropical countries b/c it was not accurately showing their correct size. How does it distort different countries size on the map? It may give people a mistaken impression about the actual size of a country. It distorts the size of landmasses, countries near the equator appear smaller than they actually are and those near the poles bigger.

b)Why would this be a problem b)Why would this be a problem? (think relative size and position, power etc) It would make those countries upset, feel and appear smaller strategically, misrepresented and unimportant.

c) As a result what type of maps are many nations and international organizations using today? Equal-area projection maps show the correct size of countries in relation to one another

d)What type of map did the National Geographic Society make in 1998 to compromise all sorts of distortions and to make the best map possible? It adopted the Winkel Tripel Projection for its standard world reference map, it is a compromise between all types of distortion

e)How is this map better than the others that came before it? Explain. It is the best balance between size, shape, distance, and direction. It gives a more realistic representation of the Earth.

2)a) Define the term Map.(first in your own words, then use the definition from the text) A Map is a representation of the Earth’s features drawn on a flat surface. It can not show you what the actual land looks like, instead it uses colors and symbols to represent certain features of an area. (ex: roads as red lines and airports as a airplane symbol)

3) All maps have certain requirements 3) All maps have certain requirements. List and define these 6 basic features found on a map. (see Fig. 2-4) - Title- Identifies areas shown and topic, purpose or focus -Legend-Explains meaning of symbols and colors -Scale-compares distance between points on the map with the actual distance on the earths surface -Date of publication-tells you if the info. is recent -Direction-Represented in 2 ways: i) a direction symbol telling you where N is ii) by the lat. parallels and long. meridian lines -Borders-set the map apart from other information.

4) Name the 3 types of maps. General purpose maps Thematic Maps Topographic Maps

5) What are general-purpose maps used for? They show a wide variety of information and are designed to provide a broad understanding of an area. They are used for everyday purposes like finding the location of a store on a city map or planning a canoe trip to a large provincial park.

6) a) What is the purpose of a thematic map? They are designed to show very specific info. on one particular topic. An example would be a map to show you the location of every secondary school in your area. b) Why are thematic maps useful? B/c they tend to be easy to understand c) Find 3 examples of thematic maps in this textbook. Give the reference page and the theme of each map. Time zones page 39 Population density by ecozones p. 52 Air masses and ocean currents p. 125

7) a) What is the purpose of topographic maps? They are large scale maps that show the natural and human features of a small area in detail. b) List and describe the symbols for showing elevation on topographic maps Elevation is shown by contour lines, horizontal control points, bench marks and spot elevations.

***Next lesson/part of class (TODAY)we are going to be going into more detail about elevation on topographic maps, you will need to bring pencil crayons to class****