Geography- Mapping Skills

Geography

the study of earth

Physical Geography

the study of non-human processes (climates, natural disasters, etc..)

Human Geography

the study of humans/ human interaction (population, immigration, etc..)

Map

a simplified representation of the earth’s features drawn on a flat surface

General Purpose Maps

provide a variety of detail such as roads, water bodies, parks, towns, and cities

Thematic(theme) Maps

provide information about one particular detail (population, crime, etc..)

Topographic Maps

provide detailed information necessary for navigation/orientation( elevation, grid systems, etc..)

Direction

the cardinal points( North, South, East, West)

Large Scale Map

have a large amount of detail (specific info)

Small Scale Map

have a small amount of detail (general info)

Latitude

90° in two directions, north and south (vertical lines)

Longitude

180° in two directions, east and west (horizontal lines)

Prime Meridian

a vertical line that extends from one pole to the other (0° of longitude)

International Date Line

a vertical line that extends from one pole to the other (180° east and west) {exact opposite of the Prime Meridian}

Equator

the line that runs horizontally along the center of the earth

Tropics of Cancer/ Capricorn

the northern and southern lines that run 23.5° from the equator

Bearing

the direction in degrees of where you need to go

Time Zones

there are 24 different time zones, one for each hour on the clock

Scale

is a measurement on a map that represents an actual distance on Earth's surface

Direct (verbal) Statement Scale

uses words to describe the relationship between distance on a map to the distance in real life. Ex. 1 cm to 10 km

Line (linear) Scale

uses a special kind of ruler that is divided into units of distance

Representative Fraction (RF) Scale

uses a mathematical ratio without mention of units. Ex. 1:50 000 (could be cm, km, feet, toe nails)

Ant/Arctic Circle

66.5° north/south of the equator

North/South Poles

the most northern and southern point of earth

Elements of a Map

Title, Border, Direction, Scale, Legend, Date of publication, Horizontal Labels, Name of Cartographer