What do I need to know about map skills?
Concepts






Scale – Maps can be large scale or
small scale to show more or less
detail
Scale – Used to measure distance
between two points
Latitude/Longitude – Be able to find
points using these lines
Relative Location – Locating a place
based on features located around it
such as bodies of water, mountains,
etc…
Orientation (direction) – Be able to
use the compass rose on the map
Mental Maps

Mental maps are maps people have
in their heads to carry out daily
activities, give directions to other
people, and understand world events

Ways Mental Maps can be Developed and
Refined




Tools Geographers Use
Comparing sketch maps to maps in
atlases or other resources
Describing the location of places in
terms of reference points
Describing the location of places in
terms of geographic features
Describing the location of places in
terms of human characteristics
Maps Reflect Change Over Time






GIS (Geographic Information
System) – A computer program that
layers different types of maps to find
the best location for public or private
buildings
Field Work
Satellite Images (Think Google
Earth)
Photographs
Maps, Globes
Databases
Primary sources
Ways that Maps Show Information




Symbols – Look in the legend to see
what they mean
Color
Lines
Boundaries
Contours – used to show elevation
Types of Thematic Maps










Population distribution, density
Economic activity
Resource
Language
Ethnicity
Climate
Precipitation
Vegetation
Physical – Shows elevation
Political – Shows human made
features such as cities, countries,
roads
Place Names on Maps
Maps of the world are better now because
we have better technology such as satellite
images and Geographic Information Systems


Boundaries




Africa 1914 – 1990s – The maps of
Africa are different today than 100
years ago because African countries
are now independent. They used to
be colonies of European countries
Europe before WWII and after WWII
– The map of Europe has changed
many times in the last 100 years due
to conflict
Russia/Soviet Union – The Soviet
Union broke up in 1991 and now it is
called Russia and several countries
were formed. The fall of communism
caused the maps to be changed
Middle East – Before 1948/After
1967 – The maps of the Middle East
changed because Israel was created
as a Jewish country by the United
Nations in 1948 and Israel occupied
parts of Palestine after a war in 1967
Map Projections
All maps are distorted representations of
the earth’s surface



Mercator – It is square, Greenland is
very large, it is distorted on the top
and bottom. Used by ship navigators
Polar – It is round and only shows a
part of the world at a time. It is used
by airline pilots because it shows the
shortest distance between two
points
Robinson – It is rounded on the
edges. It is used to compare data in
atlases



The island of Taiwan used to be
called Formosa by the Portuguese. It
is also called the republic of China
Palestine, Israel, Occupied
Territories
Perspective of Place Names
Arabian Gulf is called the Persian
Gulf by people in Iran
Sea of Japan is called the East Sea by
people in Korea
Middle East is also called Southwest
Asia
Disputed Areas




Korea – Korea is divided into two
countries, North and South Korea.
This dispute is political in nature
The country of Western Sahara is
occupied by Morocco
The country of Yugoslavia broke into
several smaller countries based on
ethnicity. This is primarily an
ethnic and religious dispute
Kashmir is a region located between
India and Pakistan. This dispute is
primarily based on religion. In India
they are Hindus, in Pakistan they are
Muslims
Maps make me SADD! They distort Shape,
Area, Distance, and Direction