1. Introduction to Map Skills

2. CONSIDER THIS!
What elements can you name on a map or globe? When you are handed a map, what do you look for?

3. Important parts of Maps and Globes (What you should look for first)
Seven components that are included on a useful map. Reportedly, the term originated by the National Geographic Society of the United States.
Title - should be pertaining to the subject of the map.
Orientation - Compass Rose should indicate North.
Date - What the date is.
Author - Who created the map.
Legend - What symbols mean on the map.
Scale - The size of space on the map.
Source - The Publisher or Organization of the map.

4. Parts of a Map (this is the title!)
Compass Rose
Map Scale
Map Key/Legend

5. Activity: Identify the Map Parts

6. Map Projection
Transforming something spherical into something flat means that the 2-D image will never exactly represent what is visible in three-dimensions.
Geographers use numerous mathematical equations to produce map projections.
Mercator Projection
Fairly accurate however not with size or distance
Specifically at the poles

7. Map Projections (Con’t)
Conic Projection
Fairly accurate overall
Goode’s Interrupted Equal Area Projection
Show’s true size and shape
However distances are inaccurate

8. Map Projections (Con’t)
Robinson’s Projection
Overall fairly accurate
However poles distorted
Azimuthal/Polar
Size accurate
Shows distances over poles, often used for air navigation

10. What types of maps are there?
Physical
Political
Thematic (Choropleth and Cartogram)

11. What Are Political Maps?
Show features on the earth’s surface that humans created
Political Borders – borders decided by Governments (latitude & longitude)
Examples?
National and State Borders, City Limits, capitals

13. What Are Physical Maps? show types of landforms and bodies of water
Physical Borders – countries Separated by a physical feature
Ex. Rio Grande River, Ural Mountains

15. What Are Choropleths?
Thematic map that uses graded differences in shading or color or the placing of symbols inside defined areas on the map in order to indicate the average values of some property or quantity in those areas
Many different kinds.
Examples???
Climate
Vegetation
Natural Resources
Population

18. What are Cartograms?
A cartogram is a map in which some thematic mapping variable is substituted for land area or distance.
The geometry or space of the map is distorted in order to convey the information of this alternate variable.
Area cartograms are maps in which the sizes of geographic regions such as countries or provinces appear in proportion to some demographic feature such as population, avg. income, disease incidence, etc.).

20. The Geographer’s Grid and Latitude/Longitude

21. What are important lines on “Geographer’s Grid”?
Equator – Divides the earth between Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere
Prime Meridian – Divides the Eastern Hemisphere from Western Hemisphere

22. What is a hemisphere? One half of the Earth.
North, South, East, West all have hemispheres.
What is a hemisphere?

23. Where are the “The Tropics”?
Tropic of Cancer – 23.5* North of Equator
Sun’s most northern location on June 21st
Tropic of Capricorn – 23.5* South of Equator
Sun’s most southern location on December 21st

24. Where are the “Polar Circles”?
Arctic Circle – 66.5* North of the Equator
begins the North polar region
Antarctic Circle – 66.5* South of the Equator
begins South polar regions

25. What is “Latitude and Longitude”?
It is a grid for finding your
location on the Earth.
Like “X and Y” from the grid in math class.
Or like a football field.
Or like the game “Battleship”
What is “Latitude and Longitude”?

26. What is Latitude? Run parallel to Equator Measures North and South
90 degrees North latitude
90 degrees South latitude
Important lines of Latitude:
Equator
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
4. Arctic Circle
Antarctic Circle

27. What is Longitude? Run parallel to Prime Meridian
Measures East and West
180 degrees of East longitude
180 degrees of West longitude
Total = 360 degree circle
All lines meet at North Pole and stretch to South Pole

28. How do you use Latitude and Longitude to find your way?
Find the right hemispheres (N, S, E, W).
Trace latitude and longitude till they meet.
FOLLOW THE CURVE!

29. Practice on the Big Map 30*N, 95*W 50*N, 0*E 40*N, 115*E 35*S, 60*W
Find the major city closest to the latitude and longitude below
Remember:
Find the right hemispheres (N, S, E, W).
Trace latitude and longitude till they meet.
FOLLOW THE CURVE!
30*N, 95*W
50*N, 0*E
40*N, 115*E
35*S, 60*W

31. Activity 1 – Using Political Maps
Use the World Political Map on p. A4-A5 of your textbook to answer these questions.
What are the five largest countries in the world in terms of total area?
What are the two countries that lie on the Himalayan border between India and China?
What is the name of the largest island in the world?
Which country has the most borders with other nations? Who are its neighbors?

32. Activity 2 – Using Physical Maps
Use the World Physical Map on p A2-A3 of your textbook to answer these questions on your own paper.
What mountain range separates European Russia from Asia?
What two mountain ranges run the length of North and South America?
What are the world’s four oceans?

33. Activity 3 – Using Thematic Maps
Use the “World Language Families Today” map on p74 of your textbook to answer these questions.
World Languages
What is the most common language family spoken throughout the world?
What are the major language families spoken in Asia?
What are the three main language families spoken in Africa?
Use the “World Population Density” map on p80 of your textbook to answer these questions.
World Population Density
What are the most lightly populated areas of the world today?
Where does the majority of the world’s population live today?
What are the largest population centers in the Southern Hemisphere?
Which region in North America has among the lowest population density?
What conditions are likely to contribute to this fact?