Types of Maps PDF

## The Earth - Its Movements and Forms ### 9. Types of Maps - A map - its uses - Types of maps - Map making #### Look at the pictures and tick (✔) the images seen on maps. - [ ] Desert - [ ] Mountain Range - [ ] Plateau ### Globes and Maps A globe is a miniature model of the Earth. It shows the...

## The Earth - Its Movements and Forms ### 9. Types of Maps - A map - its uses - Types of maps - Map making #### Look at the pictures and tick (✔) the images seen on maps. - [ ] Desert - [ ] Mountain Range - [ ] Plateau ### Globes and Maps A globe is a miniature model of the Earth. It shows the complete Earth at a time, but it is not easy to carry it everywhere. Also, when we want to study a particular part of the Earth in detail, we need maps. A map is a drawing or _diagrammatic representation_ of the whole Earth or a part of it on a flat surface like paper. In other words, a map is a picture or representation of a place that shows its relationships with other places. It also shows the important features of that place. _Diagrammatic representation:_ a two-dimensional representation ### How are maps useful? Maps are useful in many ways. They are easy to carry to refer to, and give a lot of information. They help us locate places like towns, cities, etc. They can tell anything related to a place like its physical features, forests, crops and minerals. Maps also tell us about the major routes of transportation, like airways, railways and roadways. They are easy to carry along as they can be easily folded or rolled. They can even be included in books for ready reference. They are of many types to suit our specific needs, like a road map or a community map. ### Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps of different types in the form of a book. Atlas was the name of a Greek god who is believed to have carried the whole world on his shoulders. ### Types of Maps Maps are of many types. Some give us detailed information about a particular place only, while the others tell us about larger areas, like a country. Some of the types of maps are: - **Political map** shows different countries or different states in a country. It also shows national and state boundaries. - **Physical map** shows physical features of a place like mountains, rivers, plateaus and other landforms. ### Subject-specific map Subject-specific map shows a specific feature of a place. For example, map showing the amount of rainfall in different areas; map showing population of different areas; map showing crops grown in different parts of a country or the world. Such maps are also called _thematic maps_. ### Map Making A map is made with great caution and accuracy. The science of making maps is called _cartography_. It is derived from the French word _carte_ meaning map and Greek word _graphia_ meaning writing. A _cartographer_ is a specialist who gathers and analyses information and then makes a map. ### How to Read a Map? A map has its own language. Reading a map is a lot of fun but before that you need to understand certain symbols and features related to it. They are: #### Directions Directions help us to locate places in relation to one another. There are four cardinal or major directions - North, South, West and East. The arrow is a universal symbol for direction. North is marked by drawing the arrow at the top of a map, on the opposite side is the South, on the left side is West and the right side is marked as East. There are four sub-directions between the four main directions. - North-east - between North and East (NE) - North-west - between North and West (NW) - South-east - between South and East (SE) - South-west - between South and West (SW) These four sub-directions are also called _intermediate directions_. ### Scale of a map When we look at the map of India, we know that Mumbai is towards the South-west of Delhi. But it is difficult to determine the actual distance between them. To make a map useful, map-makers establish a relationship between the distance of places on the map and their actual distance on the Earth's surface. This relationship between actual distance and distance on a map is shown in the form of a _map scale_. For example, if the scale on a map states that 1 cm is equal to 1 km, it means that a distance of 1 cm on that map is equal to 1 km on the Earth's surface. Two places may seem very close to each other on a map but on the Earth, they could be very far. A scale (Verbal, Graphic/Linear) helps us understand how far the destination actually is. Scales are of two types: - **Verbal scale:** A statement is used as the map scale. For example, one cm represents 100 km. - **Graphic or linear scale:** The scale is given in the form of a bar divided at regular intervals. Each division in the bar represents a fixed distance on the ground. ### Colours in a map Look at the physical map of India. Can you see different colours? These colours represent various physical features. A map uses various colours according to the features we are talking about. Most maps use the following colour code: ### Stop Over Collect different types of maps from newspapers, magazines and the Internet. Make your own atlas of thematic maps. ### Stop Over On a grid map of India, name the horizontal and vertical lines using numbers and letters, respectively. Then identify the grid boxes in which the following places lie: - Delhi - Mumbai - Chennai - Kolkata ### Stop Over Stretch out your palm and measure its length with the help of a ruler. Remember the length of your palm. This is also known as a handspan. Now measure your study table with the help of your palm. What is the length of the table? ###### _Linear: a bar or line graphic that shows the distance on the map that is equal to a real-world distance_ ### Signs and symbols Besides colours, maps use a set of internationally recognised signs and symbols. These symbols show different landmarks, like temples, mosques, churches, roads, rivers, bridges, capital cities and railway lines. - A city is marked on a map by a small circle (o) and the capital of a country is shown by a dot inside a circle (O). - Different types of lines are used to show international boundaries, state boundaries, district boundaries, capitals and headquarters. To find what these symbols mean, we refer to the keys given on the side of each map. ### Symbols on a Map | Symbol | Meaning | |---|---| | ----- | International boundary | | ------ | State boundary | | -------- | District boundary | | -------- | Metalled road | | -------- | Unmetalled road | | -------- | Railway | | -------- | River | | -------- | Capital city | | 五 | Church | | 仚 | Mosque | | PS | Police Station | | ○ | City | | 슈슈슈 | Forest | | | Bridge | | | Temple | ### Layout Map A _layout map_ is a schematic arrangement of the parts or areas of a building. The _layout map_ of a monument tells us about the various sections of a historical sight, at one glance. Let us look at the layout maps of some famous monuments in India. The Konark Temple is in Odisha. This temple has been carved out from a massive rock. It is in the form of a huge chariot of the Sun God (refer to the map key to understand the layout of the complex and all the important structures within the complex.) ### Grid In the previous class, you have read about a _grid_. It is the network formed by the vertical and horizontal lines intersecting one another. We can find a _grid_ on a globe or a map. It helps us to locate places and things on them. ### Treasure Map Look at the map and find the location of the following (the first one has been solved for you): - a. ship - A5 - b. volcano - - c. treasure chest - - d. lagoon - ### Sketch of Africa showing different physical features - Atlas Mountains - Sahara Desert - Atlantic Ocean - Niger River - Mediterranean Sea - Congo River - Kalahari Desert - Red Sea - Nile River - Lake Victoria - Zambezi River - Indian Ocean