Types of Maps & Map projections ,

1. Types of Maps & Map projections, Social Studies

2. Purpose of Maps • What is a map? • A map is a graphic representation of a portion of the earth's surface drawn to scale, as seen from above. • What maps have you used?

3. Types of Maps • Physical map • Map that shows how the land looks. • Relief map • Map that shows the height of land above sea level. • Political map • Map that shows how humans have divided the surface of the Earth. • Special Purpose map • Map that gives one particular kind of information.

4. Physical Map • Shows how the land looks • Give some examples of things a physical map might show. • Mountains • Rivers • Plains • Lakes • Other physical features of the land.

5. Physical Map

6. Relief Map • Map that shows the height of land above sea level.

7. Political Map • Map that shows how humans have divided the surface of the Earth. • Divided into countries, states, etc… • Displays some physical features since those are often used as boundaries.

8. Political Map

9. Special Purpose Map • A map that gives one particular kind of information. • Rainfall maps, population density maps, Zip Code map, interstate/highway map, etc…

10. Light Density Map of Earth

11. Population Density Map

12. More About Maps… • Maps are usually a combination of physical, political, and special purpose. • Example: • A map may show the products produced in each state within the United States along with major rivers. • What types of maps are represented in the examples below?

13. Carbon Emission MapWhat map type of map would this be?

14. Map Projections • A map projection is a way to show the rounded Earth on a flat piece of paper. • Maps show four things • Direction • Distance • Shape • Size • Globes can show all four accurately but maps cannot. • To get one thing accurate, we must give up another.

15. Map Projections • Map projection • A way of showing the earth on a piece of paper. • Conic projection • Map projection used for showing small areas midway between the equator and the poles. • Gall-Peters projection • Map projection that shows the sizes of the landmasses correctly. • Mercator projection • Map projection that shows true directions and land shapes but exaggerates size of landmasses.

16. Mercator Projection • Shows how the Earth would look if a piece of paper were wrapped to form a tube around the globe. • The distances are not true. The sizes of the landmasses near the North and South poles are greatly exaggerated.

17. Mercator Projection • Compare the sizes of South America and Greenland on a Mercator map. • South America is actually nine times larger than Greenland.

18. Gall-Peters Projection • Map projection that shows the sizes of the landmasses correctly. • However, shapes and distances are not accurate.

19. Gall-Peters Projection

20. Conic Projections • Map projection used for showing small areas midway between the equator and the poles. Size, distance, and direction are fairly accurate. • It comes from the idea of placing a cone over part of a globe.

21. Conic Projections

22. Robinson ProjectionMost widely used and shows only minor distortions in true size, distance, and shape of landmasses

23. More About Map Projections • There are a number of other kinds of projections which show the sizes and shapes of landmasses fairly accurately. • Remember that no map can show direction, distance, shape, and size at the same time as accurately as a globe. • Every kind of map has a special use, but none is perfect. • Be careful about making judgments about the world based on maps since shape, size, or distance may be inaccurate.