NCERT Class 6 Social Science Geography Chapter 4 PDF

N 4 S MAPS You have learnt in the previous chapter about the advantages of a globe. However, globe has limitations as well...

N 4 S MAPS You have learnt in the previous chapter about the advantages of a globe. However, globe has limitations as well. A globe can be useful when we want to study the earth as a whole. But, when we want to study only a part of the earth, as about our country, states, Let’s Do districts, towns and villages, it is of little help. In such Take an old a situation we use maps. A map is a representation or rubber ball and a drawing of the earth’s surface or a part of it drawn draw whatever on a flat surface according to a scale. But it is you like all over it. You impossible to flatten a round shape completely. may also mark north We find that maps are useful to us for various pole and south pole on purposes. One map shows a small area and a few facts. it. Now cut this ball Another map may contain as many facts as a big book. with a knife and try to When many maps are put together we get an Atlas. flatten it. Notice how the Atlases are of various sizes, measurements drawn on drawings are distorted. different scales. Maps provide more information than a globe. They are of different types. Some of them are described below. PHYSICAL MAPS Maps showing natural features of the earth such as mountains, plateaus, plains, rivers, oceans etc. are called physical or relief maps. POLITICAL MAPS Maps showing cities, towns and villages, and different countries and states of the world with their boundaries are called political maps. THEMATIC MAPS Some maps focus on specific information; such as road Rationalised 2023-24  maps, rainfall maps, maps showing distribution of forests, industries etc. are known as thematic maps. Suitable titles are given on the basis of information provided in these maps. There are three Components of Maps – distance, direction and symbol. DISTANCE Maps are drawings, which reduce the entire world or a part of it to fit on a sheet of paper. Or we can say maps are drawn to reduced scales. But this reduction is done very carefully so that the distance between the places is real. It can only be possible when a small distance on paper represents a large distance on the ground. Therefore, a scale is chosen for this purpose. Scale is the ratio between the actual distance on the ground and the distance shown on the map. For example, the Let’s Do distance between your school and your home is 10 Look at the km. If you show this 10 km. distance by 2 cm on a Figure 4.1. map, it means, 1 cm on the map will show 5 km. on There is a scale. the ground. The scale of your drawing will be 1cm = 5 It may be used for measuring distance km. Thus, scale is very important in any map. If you between places. For know the scale, you will be able to calculate the example the distance distance between any two places on a map. between the well and the When large areas like continents or countries are tree is 5 cm. It means to be shown on a paper, then we use a small scale. For that the actual distance example 5 cm. on the map shows 500 km. of the is 50 metres. Now the ground. It is called a small scale map. distance between the PO When a small area like your village or town is to be (A) to Karim’s house (E) is 12 cm. It means 120 shown on paper, then we use a large scale that is 5 metres on the ground but cm. on the map shows 500 metres only on the ground. you can not fly like a bird It is called a large scale map. directly from E to A. You Large scale maps give more information than small will have to walk on the scale maps. road. Let us measure the total walking distance DIRECTION from E to C, then C to M, M to B and B to A. Add Most maps contain an arrow marked with the letter all these distances. This ‘N’ at the upper right hand corner. This arrow shows will be the total walking the north direction. It is called the north line. When distance from Karim’s you know the north, you can find out other directions, house to the post office. for example east, west and south. There are four major 24 THE EARTH : OUR HABITAT Rationalised 2023-24 Figure 4.1 : Map of a village directions, North, South, East and West {Figure 4.2 (a)}. They are called cardinal points. Other four intermediate directions are north-east (NE), south- east(SE), south-west (SW) and north-west (NW). We can locate any place more accurately with the help of these intermediate directions. Figure 4.2 (a) : Cardinal Directions Find out the following directions from the Figure 4.1: (a) The direction of the Community Centre, N the playground from Vikas’s house (b) the direction of school from shops. We can find out the direction of a place with the help of a compass. It is an instrument used to find S out main directions. Its magnetic needle always points towards north-south direction {Figure 4.2 (b)}. Figure 4.2 (b) : A compass MAPS 25 Rationalised 2023-24  SYMBOLS It is the third important component of a map. It is not possible to draw on a map the actual shape and size of different features such as buildings, roads, bridges, trees, railway lines or a well. So, they are shown by using certain letters, shades, colours, pictures and lines These symbols give a lot of information in a limited space. With the use of these symbols, maps can be drawn easily and are simple to read. Even if you don’t know the language of an area and therefore cannot ask someone for directions, you can collect information from maps with the help of these symbols. Maps have a universal language that can be understood by all. There is an international agreement regarding the use of these symbols. These are called conventional symbols. Some of the conventional symbols are shown in the Figure 4.3. Figure 4.3 : Conventional Symbols Various colours are used for the same purpose. For example, generally blue is used for showing water bodies, brown for mountain, yellow for plateau and green is used for plains. 26 THE EARTH : OUR HABITAT Rationalised 2023-24 Figure 4.4 : Sunderpur village and its surrounding areas SKETCH Look at the Figure 4.4 and A sketch is a drawing mainly based on memory and find out : spot observation and not to scale. Sometimes a rough (i) In which direction is the river flowing? drawing is required of an area to tell where a (ii) What kind of road particular place is located with respect to other passes by the side of places. Suppose, you want to go to your friend’s village Dumri? house, but you don’t know the way. Your friend may (iii) On what type of make a rough drawing to show the way to his house. railway line is Such a rough drawing is drawn without scale, and Sunderpur situated ? is called a sketch map. (iv) On which side of the railway bridge is the PLAN police station situated? A plan is a drawing of a small area on a large scale. A (v) On which side of the large-scale map gives lot of information, but there are railway line do the certain things which we may sometimes want to know following lie : for example the length and breadth of a room, which (a) Chhatri can’t be shown in a map. At that time, we can refer (b) Church (c) Pond (d) Mosque (e) River drawings drawn to scale called a plan. (f) Post and Telegraph Office Let’s Do Visit web portal School Bhuvan-NCERT and (g) Graveyard draw online neighbourhood map on satellite imageries. MAPS 27 Rationalised 2023-24  1. Answer the following questions briefly. (a) What are the three components of a map? (b) What are the four cardinal directions? (c) What do you mean by the term ‘the scale of the map’? (d) How are maps more helpful than a globe? (e) Distinguish between a map and a plan. (f) Which map provides detailed information? (g) How do symbols help in reading maps? 2. Tick the correct answers. (a) Maps showing distribution of forests are (i) Physical map (ii) Thematic Map (iii) Political map (b) The blue colour is used for showing (i) Water bodies (ii) Mountains (iii) Plains (c) A compass is used – (i) To show symbols (ii) To find the main direction (iii) To measure distance (d) A scale is necessary (i) For a map (ii) For a sketch (iii) For symbols 1. Draw a plan of your classroom and show the teacher’s table, blackboard, desks, door and windows. 2. Draw a sketch of your school and locate the following : (a) the principal’s room (b) your classroom (c) the playground (d) the library (e) some big trees (f) drinking water 28 THE EARTH : OUR HABITAT Rationalised 2023-24  1. Make the plan (in the space given below) of a fun-park where you can enjoy several activities : for example swings, slides, see-saw, merry-go-round, boating, swimming, looking into funny mirrors, etc. or anything else that you can think of. MAPS 29 Rationalised 2023-24