Why Are Maps Important?
Maps are important because they help us:
1. Find Places: They show where things are, like countries, cities, mountains, and
rivers.
2. Give Directions: Maps help us know how to get from one place to another.
3. Learn About the World: They show information like weather, population, and
resources.
4. Understand Nature: Maps show landforms, climates, and ecosystems.
5. See Human Impact: They help us understand how people use and change the
land.
What is a map?
1. Map is a drawing of a place as from above.
2. Map making process is called Cartography.
3. Mapping changes over time.
4. Over the centuries, we humans have learned more and more about places,
thanks to explorers, and traders, and travellers of all kinds - and now thanks to
satellites. Instruments for measuring have also got better and better.
5. So maps have changed a lot.
A good map is a visual representation of the earth's surface, drawn to scale and
made for a specific purpose.
All good maps have/elements.
1. Title
2. Legend (Key)
3. Scale
4. Compass Rose (Orientation)(shown by a north line)
5. Grid System
6. Labels
7. Borders and Boundaries
Map Scale
Map scale shows how much smaller the map is compared to the real world. It
helps you understand the actual size of things on the map.
For example:
1:100,000 means 1 unit on the map equals 100,000 units in real life.
1 inch = 1 mile means each inch on the map equals 1 mile in real life.
Larger scale maps show more detail, while smaller scale maps show bigger areas
but less detail.
Types of scale
1. Stated Scale (Verbal Scale):
Describes the scale using words, like "1 inch equals 1 mile."
2. Linear Scale (Graphic Scale):
A visual bar or line that represents distance on the map, showing real-world
distances (e.g., a bar that shows 1 inch equals 1 mile).
3. Ratio (Fractional Scale):
A numerical ratio, like 1:50,000, where 1 unit on the map equals 50,000 units in real
life.
Maps and Mapping
1. Using a scale of 1 cm to 20 cm, draw a line to represent:
a. 40cm
b. b. 80cm
c. c. 2 metres
(Write the scale beside the line. )
2. A kilometre is 1000 metres. Draw a line to represent 1 kilometre using each of these
scales:
a.1 cm to 1km
b. 1 cm to 200m
c. 1cm to 100m
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