Essential Map Skills for Geography
Maps, for obvious reasons, are among the most important tools in geography. They help us get around, discover new places, and understand the world.
While maps are simple visual representations of an area, it's important to learn the different types of maps and what their symbols mean. Whether you're learning about a country, planning a trip, exploring a national park, or just curious about the world, understanding maps is a valuable skill that will serve you well.
Map Types
First off, there are several types of maps, each designed for a specific purpose. Some common map types include:
- Road Maps: These help you navigate streets and highways, making them useful for driving directions.
- Topographic Maps: These show the elevation and terrain of an area, making them ideal for hiking and exploring nature.
- Political Maps: These display boundaries between countries, states, and cities, making them handy for understanding political divisions.
- Thematic Maps: These focus on a specific theme, such as population density, climate, or vegetation, providing in-depth information on a particular topic.
Sometimes, these types can be combined. For example, a globe might be both a topographic and political map. Understanding the type of map you're using is essential, as it determines what information is presented and how you can use it.
Reading the Map Key
Maps often include a map key or legend. This is usually a small box somewhere on the map showing any symbols that appear on the map and stating what they mean.
To make maps less cluttered and easier to read, they usually include symbols and colors instead of words to label features. For example, a red cross symbol would likely represent a hospital, a blue box with a "P" inside could be a parking garage, etc. Similarly, map keys might tell you that blue lines represent rivers and green areas are parks. The map key explains what each symbol or color means.
Understanding Directions
Maps will also likely include a compass rose. This shows the cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. Knowing how to read these directions is crucial for navigating a map.
North is almost always at the top of the map, south at the bottom, east on the right, and west on the left. However, you should always check the compass rose to be sure, because some maps might show the directions differently.
If you are examining a world map and want to describe the location of a small country relative to its larger neighbors, you likely will look to the right for those to the east and to the left for the countries that are to the west.
Scale and Distance
Maps are a scaled-down representation of the real world. Some maps show large areas with multiple countries while others might just show your neighborhood. The map scale tells you how much the map has been reduced. For example, if you see a scale of 1 inch equals 1 mile, it means that 1 inch on the map represents 1 mile in real life. A map that shows a larger area might have one inch equal to 1,000 miles or more.Â
Using the scale, you can estimate distances between places on the map. If you measure a distance of 2 inches on the map with that 1 inch equals 1 mile scale, you know that the actual distance is 2 miles.
Reading Latitude and Longitude
Latitude and longitude lines are like a grid that covers the Earth's surface. Latitude lines run horizontally, while longitude lines run vertically. Together, they form coordinates that pinpoint any location on Earth.
Latitude lines are measured in degrees north or south of the equator, which is at 0 degrees latitude. Longitude lines are measured in degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian, which is at 0 degrees longitude in Greenwich, England.
For example, if you see a point on a map labeled 38° N, 122° W, it means the location is 38 degrees north of the equator and 122 degrees west of the Prime Meridian. You can trace your finger up and over on the lines of latitude and longitude to pinpoint the coordinates (in this case, San Francisco, California).
Latitude and longitude coordinates are also used in GPS systems and are crucial for identifying precise locations across the globe.