MAP SKILLS

WG SOL 1a - e

Geographic Sources

Geographic information may be acquired from a variety of sources

Geographic information supports the process of inquiry into the nature of countries, cities, and environments

A. GIS – Geographic Information Systems

B. Field WorkC. Satellite ImagesD. PhotographsE. Maps, globesF. DatabasesG. Primary SourcesH. Diagrams

GIS – You use it all the time

Field Work

Satellite Images

Photographs

Maps & Globes

Maps are great because they are FLAT and can go into ATLASES. They also can show whatever information you want to put on them.

Globes are nice because they are ACCURATE in their shape of the world. BUT terrible to carry around and EXPENSIVE

Database

Capital Population Life Expectancy (years)

Birthrate (per 1,000 pop.)

Infant Mortality (per 1,000 live births)

Doctors (per 100,000 people)

INDIANew Delhi

1,002,142,000 61 27 72.0 48

UNITED STATESWashington, DC

315,422,000 77 15 7.0 251

Primary Sources – provide new information

Diagrams

Parts of a Map

Absolute Location Latitude Longitude

Relative Location – Used to describe where a place is based on physical features or known places

A. Scale (Large and small scale maps) – used to show detail

B. Scale (used to measure distance)

C. Compass Rose (used to find orientation

D. Cardinal Directions (N, S, E, W)

E. Intermediate Directions (NE, NW, SE, SW)

Scale can show distanceBetween two points or detail.

Mental Maps

A. Mental maps are maps in your head that you use to:

A. Carry out daily activities

B. Give directions to others

C. Understand world events

A. Mental maps can be refined by:

A. Comparing sketch maps to maps in atlases

B. Describing the location of places in terms of reference points, geographic features, or human characteristics

Types of Maps Physical maps show

landforms and elevation

Political maps show human made features such as cities, countries and roads

Contour maps show elevation using isolines

Thematic maps show specific information (THEMES)

Physical Maps

Examples of Thematic Maps

A. Population B. Economic ActivityC. ResourceD. LanguageE. EthnicityF. ClimateG. PrecipitationH. Vegetation

Map ProjectionsA. All maps are distorted or

inaccurate (shape, area, distance, direction)

B. Mercator – (square) – used by ship navigators – distorted by shape, area, and distance (Top is too big, middle is too small)

C. Polar – (round) – used by airline pilots because it shows shortest distance – distorted by area because it only shows one hemisphere

D. Robinson – (rounded edges) – used to compare data in atlases – distorted all 4 ways, but not terribly (compromise)

Mercator Projection

Polar Projection

Robinson Projection

How Maps Change

A. Changing place names

A. Formosa Taiwan Republic of China

B. Palestine Israel West Bank/Gaza

B. Perspective of place names

B. Arabian Gulf vs. Persian Gulf

C. Sea of Japan vs. East Sea

D. Middle East vs. Southwest Asia

How Maps Change

A. BoundariesA. Africa in 1914 and

1990sB. Europe before and

after WWI and since 1990

C. Russia and the former Soviet Union

D. Middle East before 1948 and after 1967

B. Disputed AreasA. KoreaB. Western SaharaC. Former

YugoslaviaD. Kashmir