Maps

-Each map projection struggles with distortion in the form of-

• shape

• area

• direction

• distance

Mercador Projection:

• has distortion in shape, area, and size

• used for naval expedition

  

Robinson Projection:

• Used for textbooks/atlases

• less distortion than other projections

• Inaccurate distances

  

Polar projection (Azimuthal):

• Used for pilot navigation

• accurate view near center

• shows the shortest distance between 2 places

• Cannot show large plots of land

  

Topographic Maps:

• designed to show area’s topography

• can show infrastructure, rivers, and other physical features

• used for land surveying

Thematic Maps:

• centered around a central theme

• not used for navigation

• show data through graphics, colors, lines

• Chloropleth Maps:

  • Use color variations to express geographic variation

    

• Isoline Map:

  • Most daily used maps

  • Use contour lines to separate differently colored regions

    

Data Collection Sources:

• Geographic Information Systems:

  • Layers data on maps and allows the user to see spatial relationships

• Field Observations:

  • geographer travels to a location to study it

  • travel narratives, personal interviews

• Remote sensing:

  • collects information from satellites and distance collection systems

• Online mapping and visualization:

  • Ex: Google Earth

• Satellite Navigation Systems:

  • Satellites that provide geo-spatial positioning or exact location

  • GPS

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Data:

• Qualitative data: collects information on people’s belief or feelings about a subject

• Quantitative data: collects information based on numbers and statistics (census).

Distance Decay: The idea that places will interact less the farther away they are.

• Globalization: The world is more connected due to technology, making it seem smaller.

• Time Space Compression: Interaction between far away places becomes instantaneous due to the Internet.

Environmental Sustainability:

• Environmental Determinism: The environment sets restrictions on human society, and humans can’t do much about them.

  • Locations limit growth in society.

• Environmental Possibilism: society can shape and modify the environment to meet their needs.

Scale and Scale of Analysis:

• Scale of Analysis:

  • looks at how data is being organized/chunked together.

  • Global, Regional, National, Sub-national scale of analysis.

• Scale: How much of the Earth’s surface the reader is viewing

  • Small scale map:

    • Ex: a global map of the world

    • sees a lot of the Earth’s surface but has few details

  • Large scale map:

    • ex: a county map

    • shows specific places on Earth rather than generalizes.

      

Regions:

• Functional/ Nodal Regions: Areas organized around a node

  • often based around certain economic, travel, or communication activities.

  • ex: An area zoned to a school, pizza delivery zone

    

• Perceptual/ Vernacular Region:

  • Regions that don’t have a perfect definition or borders

  • Exist because of people’s beliefs/ feelings of a region

  • ex: The Deep South

    

• Formal Region:

  • Geographic regions with common attributes

  • ex: State borders