1. Map Elements

2. Learner Expectation Content Standard: 3.0 Geography
3.01 Understand how to use maps, globes, and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective.

3. In this activity you will:
Learn about the elements of a map: latitude, longitude, the hemispheres, directions, time zone, scale, and map legends.
Practice locating position using longitude and latitude

4. What is a map?
A two-dimensional representation of the spatial distribution of selected phenomena:
The Earth’s Surface
A generalized view of an area, usually some portion of Earth’s surface, as seen from above at a greatly reduced size
Any geographical image of the environment

5. Why make maps? To represent a larger area than we can see
To show a phenomenon or process we can’t see with our eyes
To present information concisely
To show spatial relationships

6. Who make maps? Cartography the art and science of mapmaking
(in Greek chartis = map and graphein = write)
The study and practice of making representations of the Earth on a flat surface. Cartography combines science, aesthetics, and technical ability to create a balanced and readable representation that is capable of communicating information effectively and quickly.

7. Essential Elements of a Map
Scale
Compass
Symbols
Legend
Map Projection Type
Author or publisher

8. Map Types Aeronautical & Navigational Charts City/Street Maps
Ecological Inventory
Fire Insurance Maps
Forest Maps
Geologic & Hydrologic Maps
Highway/Road Maps
Outline Maps
Parks & Recreational Maps
Political Maps
Soil Maps
Topographic Maps
Weather Maps

9. Aeronautical & Navigational Charts
World Aeronautical Charts cover land areas at a standard size and scale for navigation by
moderate speed aircraft and aircraft operating at high altitudes.

10. Forest Maps
False color map of the distribution of the kinds of forests in the world. The darkest greens are tropical forest, the mid green is coniferous (evergreens such as pine) and the lightest green are temperate forests. The highest biodiversity occurs in the tropical forests.

11. Fire Insurance Maps
These maps were prepared primarily to assist insurance underwriters in determining the risk involved in insuring individual properties.

12. Oceans of the World The world has four major oceans. Atlantic Pacific
Arctic
Indian
Pacific
ocean
Atlantic
Arctic
Indian

13. Global Climates
Arctic and Antarctic with cold weather, so we could make the observation that the climate at the poles is cold. This map shows the general climate regions of the world.

14. World Religions
Religious beliefs help define a people’s culture, so to understand a people, it is important to consider what religions influence that group.

15. The World Physical
Physical maps show what the surface of the Earth looks like.

16. Map scale
Ratio of the distance on the map to the distance on the ground
Scale is a fraction
Larger area covered means larger denominator
Larger denominator means smaller fraction
So a large-scale map covers a small area

17. Larger denominator means smaller fraction
Map Insert

18. Large-scale
Small-scale

19. Types of Map Scale
Ratio of the distance on the map to the distance on the ground
Graphic:
Stays the same when photocopied
Might not be right for the whole map

20. Scale

21. Types of Map Scale Verbal: 1 inch equals 10 miles Easy to understand
Can change if photocopied

22. Types of Map Scale Representative fraction or ratio: 1:24,000
Units don’t matter
Can change if photocopied

23. Map scale

24. Compass
A compass is a tool that helps the user know what direction one is headed.
On a map, a compass or a compass rose helps the user locate these directions.

25. How a Compass Works There is a magnetic field around the earth.
The magnetized needle in a compass is aligned with this magnetic field.
As the image to the right shows, the composition of the earth acts as a huge bar magnet sitting upside down in the middle of the planet.
Since its South end is at the north pole and its North end is at the south pole, the North end of a compass needle is pulled north.
Your compass has to have a very light needle sitting on a pivot that has almost no friction. This is because the earth's magnetic field is weak and would not be able to turn the needle.

26. Compass Rose
Since the needle on a compass is magnetized to point to the earth's north magnetic pole. Thus with a compass, a person can roughly tell which direction they are headed.
There are four major or cardinal directions on a compass- north, south, east & west. In between are the directions northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest.

27. Directions The cardinal directions are north, south, east, and west.
The intermediate directions are northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest.
They help describe the location of places in relation to other places.

28. Compass Points
When reading a compass, and telling other people directions, you need to wipe "right" and "left" out of your vocabulary.
Right and Left are relative directions and differ depending on your location and direction, but the cardinal points are constant.
The direction halfway between North and East is an intercardinal point and is called NorthEast. The other three intercardinal points are SouthEast, SouthWest, and NorthWest.

29. Map symbolization Symbols are a code instead of text
Three kinds: point, line, area
Consider shape, size, orientation, pattern, color, value

30. Map symbolization Symbols are a code instead of text
Three kinds: point, line, area
Consider shape, size, orientation, pattern, color, value

32. Point symbols Every symbol counts as one occurrence Qualitative points
Indicate location
Can also describe that location
Quantitative points
Show a distribution
Indicate a value (graduated symbols)

33. Indicate location Describe location

34. Show a distribution

35. Indicate a value

36. Line symbols One-dimensional Mostly taken for granted (borders, roads)
Contour connect same values
Flow-line maps indicate value by width of line

37. (Contour lines)

38. Latitude and Longitude
The earth is divided into lots of lines called latitude and longitude.

39. Lines
Latitude (shown as a horizontal line) is the angular distance, in degrees, minutes, and seconds of a point north or south of the Equator. Lines of latitude are often referred to as parallels.
Latitude

40. Lines
Longitude (shown as a vertical line) is the angular distance, in degrees, minutes, and seconds, of a point east or west of the Prime (Greenwich) Meridian. Lines of longitude are often referred to as meridians.
Longitude

41. Where is 0 degree? The equator is 0 degree latitude.
It is an imaginary belt that runs halfway point between the North Pole and the South Pole.

42. Where is 0 degree? Equator The equator is 0 degree latitude.
It is an imaginary belt that runs halfway point between the North Pole and the South Pole.
Equator

43. Where is 0 degree?
The prime meridian is 0 degrees longitude. This imaginary line runs through the United Kingdom, France, Spain, western Africa, and Antarctica.

44. P R I M E D A N
Where is 0 degree?
The prime meridian is 0 degrees longitude. This imaginary line runs through the United Kingdom, France, Spain, western Africa, and Antarctica.

46. Hemispheres
By using the equator and prime meridian, we can divide the world into four hemispheres, north, south, east, and west.

48. Time Zones
The Earth is divided into 24 time zones, corresponding to 24 hours in a day.
As the earth rotates, the sun shines in different areas, moving from east to west during the course of a day.
Places that have the same longitude will be in the same time zone.

50. Map Legends
The legend is the key to unlocking the secrets of a map. Objects or colors in the legend represent something on the map.
Religions Legend

51. Can you understand this legend?

52. Age Expectancy
Legend

53. Map Projections
Projection: The system used to transfer locations from Earth’s surface to a flat map.
A projection of an image onto another surface
either a cylinder, a flat plane or a cone
3 basic types of projections
cylindrical projection
planular projection (also known as azimuthal)
conical projection

54. Map projection
Map projections are necessary for creating maps. All map projections distort the surface in some fashion. Depending on the purpose of the map, some distortions are acceptable and others are not;

55. Map projection
The Mercator projection shows courses of constant bearing as straight lines.

56. Miller Cylindrical projection
Azimuthal projection

59. Map projection
The Robinson projection was adopted by National Geographic Magazine in 1988 but abandoned by them in about 1997 for the Winkel Tripel.

60. Winkel Tripel Projection