Here's the Study Guide for Friday's Test!

Study Guide for Map Parts/Map Types/Map Projections Test

Map Title – explains the subject of the map

Map Legend – explains the symbols on the map, including colors

Map Scale – shows the ratio between a unit of length on the map and a unit of distance on   the Earth

Compass Rose – sets the direction on the map with:

1) Cardinal Directions – North, South, East, West

2)   Intermediate Directions – Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest

Labels – Words or phrases that explain features on the map such as country names, city names, points of interest, highways, forests, lakes, rivers, etc.

Latitude – imaginary lines that run east and west, and measure distance north or south of the equator (also called parallels)

Important Lines of Latitude are:

            Equator 0°

            Tropic of Cancer 23° 26’ N

         Tropic of Capricorn 23° 26’ S

         Arctic Circle  66° 33’ N

            Antarctic Circle  66° 33’ S

Longitude – imaginary lines the run from the north pole to the south pole, and measure distance east and west of the Prime Meridian (also known as meridians)

Important Lines of Longitude:

            Prime Meridian  0°

         International Dateline  180°

Absolute Location – found by using the coordinates of latitude and longitude

Relative Location – directions given by people to find a location

Contour Maps – a way of expressing elevation on a map; the closer the contour lines are together the higher the elevation

Globes – 3D, are not distorted, do not show detail, and are more accurate than maps; they are not portable

Maps – 2D, show land distortions because the earth is not flat, are cheaper than globes, have themes, and are portable

Map Projections – a way to draw maps to show less distortion

            Types of Projections:

Mercator – used by ship navigators; shows land distortions at the top and bottom (Greenland and Anarctica are too big; latitude and longitude cross at right angles

Polar – used by pilots because it shows the shortest distance between 2 points; it is a circle, it only shows one hemisphere; the latitude lines form circles and the longitude lines radiate from the center

Robinson – used to compare data by geographers and researchers; has curved sides and the longitude lines curve toward the north and south poles

Types of Maps:

Political Maps – show man made things such as boundary lines, cities, states, provinces, and countries

Physical Maps – show landforms and bodies of waters ( a map can be both physical and political at the same time)

Thematic Maps – show different types of information focused on a theme

            Types of Thematic Maps:

                        Population Density and Distribution

                        Climate

                        Ethnicity

                        Language

                        Economic

                        Resources (agricultural and natural)

                        Precipitation

                        Vegetation

Small Scale Maps – show a large, general area with little or no details; used to show relative location

Large Scale Maps – show a smaller are with greater detail; used to show absolute location