Map Types and Spatial Concepts

Flashcards covering map types, spatial concepts, and scale of analysis relevant to geography.

Reference map

Displays boundaries, names, and unique identifiers of standard geographic areas.

Thematic map

A map that emphasizes a particular theme or topic.

Cartogram

A map that distorts land area to show changes in value.

Choropleth Map

A map that uses different shapes to show variation of values, with darker shaded areas indicating greater density.

Dot map

Uses dots to show different values, where more dots indicate greater value.

Graduated Symbol map

Uses a symbol to represent a value, where larger symbols indicate larger values.

Isoline map

Maps with lines drawn to link different places that share a common value.

Relative Space

Space created and defined by humans, influenced by human interactions with the environment.

Absolute Space

Defined by a quantitative (numerical) measure with exact locations (e.g., 30ºN, 25ºW).

Mercator Projection

Preserves 90º angles and straight lines of longitude and latitude, causing distortion at the poles.

Robinson Projection

Shows accurate shapes and sizes of land masses but with distorted poles.

Peters Projection

Has minimal distortion and preserves size, commonly used for navigation.

Polar Projection

A circular map used for aviation.

Distance Decay

The tapering off of a process or event due to distance.

Large Scale

Shows less area in greater detail.

Small Scale

Shows greater area in less detail.

Global Scale

Shows the world at one level of data.

Regional Scale

Shows data by continents or world regions.

National Scale

Shows data for one or more countries.

Local Scale

Shows subnational data within one country.