Types of Maps

Introduction

• Maps give the user detailed information about the area shown on the map
• There are different types of maps that have different purposes
• Multiple types of maps can be combined on one map
• The most common types of maps are political, physical, topographic, resource, and thematic

Political Map - shows human-made features like borders, states, and countries

• It can use a variety of colors to show different areas
• Some give info on cities, highways, and points of interest
• Show boundaries of where one government ends and the next begins

Physical Map - shows natural features like mountains deserts, etc.

• Can be shown with symbols
• Shows major landforms, major cities, borders of countries, and significant bodies of water

Topographical Map - shows elevation

• Contour lines or colors are used to do this
• Shows hills, valleys, and peaks
• Show 3-d on a 2-d surface
• They also show physical features

Resource Map - shows the natural resources in an area

• Shown in color or with symbols
• Helps farmers, miners, or even business owners to know what is available in the area
• AKA economic maps

Thematic maps

• Cover a broad range of topics
• Focuses on a theme and specific information and conveys it to the reader
• Examples:
  • Population Map - shows the distribution of population in an area using color or symbols
  • Climate Map - gives information about the average weather in an area
  • Precipitation Map - shows the amount of precipitation in inches or feet in an area over an exact period of time
  • Weather Map - shows the current weather in an area
  • Flow Line Map - shows the movement of goods and migration patterns using lines
  • Star Map - shows the night sky and is used to find objects in the night sky like stars, constellations, or galaxies