Understanding Maps PDF

Understanding maps What is a map? Ground view A map is a simplified plan of an area that uses symbols and colours to represent the This ground view of the Giza pyramids features in the real world. Maps are drawn from direc...

Understanding maps What is a map? Ground view A map is a simplified plan of an area that uses symbols and colours to represent the This ground view of the Giza pyramids features in the real world. Maps are drawn from directly above the area (the plan gives an excellent idea of their height and view). Map makers, known as cartographers, simplify the information from the real shape. The objects in the background are world and add additional information such as place names and borders. They use a largely obscured, and the scale varies legend to help unlock the information on the map. Symbols and colours are used in greatly between the foreground and the legends to help map readers quickly recognise them – for example, green for parks, background. blue for water and lines to represent roads. There are six key features all maps need to contain, known as BOLTSS: Border – to show the extent of the map Orientation – a direction arrow Legend – an explanation of the map symbols Title – a description of what the map is showing Scale – a way of showing the area represented by the map Source – the information used to produce the map. Different views of the world To understand and read maps you need to be able to recognise features from the plan view. Maps can only be drawn from the plan view because the scale is the same across the entire area. In the ground view or oblique view, the scale (page 8) changes between the foreground and the background. ▲ Ground view is the view from the ground. GIZA PYRAMIDS AND SURROUNDS: SATELLITE IMAGE 0 100 200 m 2 Oblique view Plan view CHECK YOUR LEARNING This oblique aerial photograph of the Giza This satellite image shows the Giza pyramids gives a good idea of the height and pyramids directly from above. In this plan 1 What is a map? shape of objects. However, some of the view it is easy to see the spatial patterns of 2 What six features should a background is obscured and the pyramids in the structures and their location amongst map contain? the foreground appear larger than they really the roads. Maps are drawn from plan 3 Study the three views of the are. This is because the scale varies between views, as the scale is the same over the Giza pyramids. Can you suggest the foreground and the background. entire area. an advantage and disadvantage of each of these views? 4 Look at the satellite image and GEOGRAPHICAL SKILLS map of the Giza pyramids. a What features have been labelled on the map? b What colour has been selected to show parkland on the map? c How are the roads represented on the map? d What are the names of the two largest pyramids? e What information is shown on the satellite image, but not on the map? 0 100 400m f What information is shown on the map, but not on the ▲ Oblique view is the view from a low, ▲ Plan view is the view from directly above satellite image? elevated angle. an area. GIZA PYRAMIDS AND SURROUNDS: WORLD HERITAGE SITE MAP Mena House Golf Course Bus and car park Entrance gate Memphis and its Necropolis – The Pyramid Fields World Heritage site Ah ram Al Al Man Boat pits sourey Tomb of Hemon Pyramid of GIZA Western Funerary Temple Khufu a Road cemetery (2550 BCE) Queens’ Pyramids Eastern cemetery Mastabas Boat LEGEND pits hi ela lS World Heritage site Funerary lA Builders’ quarters Temple of oo H Urban area Khafre Pyramid of Al ou Monument Khafre Ab Ruins (2520 BCE) Great Sphinx Temple of (2545 BC) The Sphinx Parkland Road Mastabas and rock cut tombs Valley Temple Walking path of Khafre Tomb of Queen Khentkawes Funerary Temple Pyramid of Modern Menkaure cemetery (2490 BCE) 0 100 200 m Pyramids of Queens 3 Different types of maps You may come across a range of maps every day, for example, in Physical maps shopping centres, newspapers and on the Internet. Maps are constructed for many different purposes, but they all display a Physical maps show the natural features of the Earth such as mountains, spatial pattern to help the user. Maps are important in our daily rivers, deserts, lakes, seas and oceans. They also show the height of lives and are a critical tool in industries such as mining, building, the land and depth of the sea by using different colours. marketing, transport, tourism and disaster response. AFRICA: PHYSICAL Atlases contain many different types of maps that show a broad range of information. The main types of maps you will find in this atlas are featured here. Environment maps Environment maps show the natural features of the Earth such as land cover, mountains, rivers, deserts, lakes, seas and oceans. They also show urban areas and cropland. AFRICA: ENVIRONMENTS LEGEND Political maps Desert Open savannah (mostly grassland) Woody savannah (grassland with trees) Forest Mountains Political maps show the human features of the Earth such as Cropland country, state and territory borders, cities and towns. Urban area N Sea floor relief Country border AFRICA: POLITICAL Disputed border Largest city 0 400 800 1200 km Town SCALE 1:42 000 000 1 centimetre on the map measures Highest mountain 420 kilometres on the ground. Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Projection CHECK YOUR LEARNING 1 What types of maps do you use most often? 2 Make a list of the maps you have seen in the last week and identify where you saw them. 3 Turn to page 223. a What type of map is this map of Asia? b What information does it provide about Asia? 4 Turn to page 225. a What type of map is this map of Asia? b What information does it provide about Asia? 5 Look at the Australia population distribution map on the page opposite. Where do most Australians live? 6 How do choropleth maps give a quick impression of a pattern? 7 Find another choropleth map in the atlas. 8 Look at the world tourist flows map on the page opposite. Where are the busiest tourist flows? 4 Dot distribution maps Weather maps Dot distribution maps use dots (or shapes) to represent a single Weather maps (or synoptic charts) show conditions in the feature. The dots show the location of the chosen feature, and the atmosphere such as air pressure, wind speed and wind size and colour of the dots can show different characteristics of that direction. They also show the size and location of warm feature. When combined on a map, the dots form a spatial pattern. and cold fronts. They are most commonly seen on On this population distribution map, small towns are shown as a television news. small green dot and large towns are shown as large red squares. AUSTRALIA: POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AUSTRALIA: WEATHER MAP GEOGRAPHICAL SKILLS Darwin Darwin 04 L L 10 INDIAN PA C I F I C TC “Rusty” X L X 1003 1003 X OCEAN 1002 L 10 OCEAN 04 996 974 X 1002 1004 Nor thern Townsville Territor y 5 kt Queens land Brisbane Perth ricorn Tropic of Cap Adelaide 101 Western Sydney 2 H Melbourne Au st ralia 0 400 800 km 1012 1020 Sunshine Coast X 1025 Brisbane Kati Thanda (Lake Eyre) Hobart H 1020 Gold Coast X 1021 South er Riv 35 kt 35 kt Australia New South 25 kt ng rli Da Wales Perth Newcastle Murray Riv Central Coast er Sydney Wollongong 0 250 500 750 km Adelaide Canberra WORLD: ENERGY CONSUMPTION ACT LEGEND ARCTIC OCEAN Urban settlements Victoria Over 1 000 000 Geelong Melbourne 500 000 to 1 000 000 100 000 to 500 000 10 000 to 100 000 1000 to 10 000 Tasmania Hobart EUROPE NORT H A SIA A ME R I C A Choropleth maps PA C I F I C O C E A N ATLA NTI C OC EA N Choropleth maps use different shades of the same colour to give a quick impression of the pattern LEGEND AFRIC A formed by the data being shown. Darker shades INDIAN Energy used per person per year (kilograms of S OU T H show the highest values while lighter shades show AT L A N T I C O C EA N oil equivalent) A ME R I C A the lowest values or least amounts. This choropleth Over 5000 O C EA N AUSTRALIA 2500 to 5000 map shows that Australia is one of the highest 1500 to 2499 energy-using countries in the world. 500 to 1499 Under 500 0 2500 5000 km No data available WORLD: TOURIST FLOWS Flow maps Flow maps show movement from one place to another. These maps are useful for showing the movement of goods, migration of people and animals, and transport and communications. Often the number of people or goods is shown by using lines of different widths or colours. This flow map shows tourist flows around the world. 5 Using direction Using a magnetic compass CODE DIRECTION The four main directions on a compass N North are north, south, east and west. These NNE North-north-east are referred to as cardinal points. The other points on the compass are divisions NE North-east between these four cardinal points, for ENE East-north-east example, south-west. These are called sub-cardinal points. E East No matter where you are on Earth, when ESE East-south-east you hold a magnetic compass in your SE South-east hand it will point towards the Magnetic North Pole. Once the location of north SSE South-south-east is established, you can find the other points S South of the compass. Using compass points is SSW South-south-west an accurate method of finding a location because whichever direction you are SW South-west facing, the compass directions always WSW West-south-west remain the same. W West ▲ A compass is an instrument that shows WNW West-north-west True north and magnetic north the direction of magnetic north. NW North-west True north is the actual direction of the Earth’s geographic North Pole. Direction NNW North-north-west indicators on maps point to the geographic North and South poles, the furthest points north and south of the Equator. Magnetic north is the direction in which ARCTIC: MOVEMENT OF THE MAGNETIC NORTH POLE a free-swinging magnet, like a compass 40°E 20°E 0° 20°W 40°W BALTIC needle, will always point. The changing UNITED KINGDOM SEA LEGEND 40 position of the magnetic poles is thought °N CASPIAN NORWAY Shetland Islands + Magnetic North Pole to be due to the Earth’s rotation and the SEA AT L A N T I C movement of minerals within the Earth’s SWEDEN FINLAND OCEAN 60°W mantle. ICELAND Nunap Isua Newfoundland 60°E NORWEGIAN 60 SEA Jan Mayen °N UR AL (Norway) LABRADOR GEOGRAPHIC AND MAGNETIC M North Cape ark d) t SEA en lan aa O it NORTH POLE UN (D reen Nun BARENTS ra TA Svalbard St IN ) (G allit SEA (Norway) Cape Chidley S la Geographic m Ka Magnetic Novaya N North Pole vi s Ungava KARA Zemlya Da North Pole Baffin Island Peninsula 80°W 80 80°E SEA °N Franz Josef Land Ellesmere Hudson Bay North Pole Island Severnaya Zemlya R U S S I A 2014 2005 +1831 + + + + CENTRAL ARCTIC 1984 1948 Victoria 80 100°E SIBERIAN °N LAPTEV Island 100°W P L AT E A U SEA OCEAN Banks CANADA Island New Siberian Islands BEAUFORT SEA NORTH BAYKAL Ar cti PLATEAU EAST SIBERIAN cC SEA irc TAINS le Wrangel CHUKCHI MOUN 60 SEA Y ROCK Island ° N 120°E Alaska Ber Chukot (USA) ing Peninsula 120°W CHINA Vancouver Str Queen Charlotte Islands Island ai (Haida Gwaii) t SEA OF Kodiak e PA C I F I C L in OKHOTSK Island te BERING Alaska Da Kamchatka Peninsula OCEAN al Sakhalin SEA ion SEA OF Peninsula S 40 nds t na JAPAN sla 0 400 800 1200 km °N er nI Int Geographic South Pole JAPAN Hokkaido Ale utia SCALE 1:65 000 000 Honshu 140°E 160°E 180° 160°W 140°W 6 Bearings NEW SOUTH WALES Tweed Heads An even more precise way to give Q u e e n s l a n d Boggabilla Murwillumbah Lismore Byron Bay directions is to use compass bearings. A Casino Ballina Lightning Ridge Tenterfield compass is a circle made up of 360 degrees Tibooburra Collarenebri Moree (360º). A bearing is an angle that is Brewarrina Warialda Inverell Grafton Walgett Glen Innes measured clockwise from 0º or north. We Bourke Narrabri Guyra can use a protractor to work out compass Dorrigo Armidale Coffs Harbour Boggabri bearings on maps. For example, Newcastle White Cliffs Coonamble Nambucca Heads Gunnedah Walcha lies on a bearing of 160º from Tamworth. N e w S o u t h Tamworth Kempsey Wilcannia Cobar Coonabarabran Werris Creek Nyngan Gilgandra GEOGRAPHICAL SKILLS Murrurundi Port Macquarie Broken Hill Gloucester Taree Scone DIRECTION BEARING Menindee W a l e s Tottenham Dubbo Muswellbrook Forster A u s t r a l i a Tallebung Peak Hill Singleton Nelson Bay North 0°/360° Roto Mudgee Maitland Condobolin Parkes Newcastle Lake Cargelligo Forbes Orange North-east 45° Pooncarie Bathurst LithgowGosford Wyong Katoomba Windsor East 90° Booligal West Wyalong Cowra Wentworth Sydney Griffith Young Mittagong Helensburgh South-east 135° Hay Temora Leeton Cootamundra Bowral Wollongong Balranald Narrandera Goulburn Kiama Junee South 180° Moulamein Gundagai Nowra Wagga Wagga Jerilderie Urana Queanbeyan Tumut Ulladulla South-west 225° S o u t h Deniliquin Batlow Tocumwal Australian Capital Territory Mathoura Batemans Bay Mulwala Albury West 270° Moama Corowa Khancoban Cooma Narooma North-west 315° Jindabyne Bega V i c t o r i a Delegate Eden 0 50 100 150 km Wind direction AUSTRALIA: WIND MOVEMENT When referring to wind direction, we talk Darwin about where the wind is blowing from. A northerly wind blows from the north towards the south. You can determine the 0 400 800 km wind direction on a weather map if you remember that in the southern hemisphere air circulates in an anticlockwise direction 1020 out of a high pressure system and in a H X clockwise direction into a low pressure H 1023 Brisbane system. Fire authorities need to understand X Perth 0 1027 102 wind direction and wind changes to protect Adelaide people and properties from bushfires. L Sydney X 992 Melbourne 100 4 Hobart L 10 X 12 1000 10 L 102 04 X H 1001 0 100 1022 X 992 4 CHECK YOUR LEARNING 1 ‘Never Eat Soggy Weetbix’ is a phrase 3 Look at the Australia map on page 177. a Kempsey we can use to remember the four In what direction would you fly from b Sydney main points of the compass. What do Sydney to reach: c Broken Hill the letters N, E, S and W stand for? a Perth? 6 What is the wind direction for each 2 Which compass point lies halfway b Melbourne? capital city on the weather map between: c Darwin? above? a west and north-west? 4 Explain why there is more than one north 7 Air circulation is the opposite in the b south and south-west? arrow on the Arctic map opposite. northern hemisphere. Describe how c north and east? 5 Look at the map of New South Wales air moves from a high pressure system above to work out the following to a low pressure system in the bearings from Tamworth. northern hemisphere. 7