MAPPING 2 MAPS Answer these questions. a. Have you ever surfed Google Maps to see the area where you live or find road information? Are these kinds of map useful in everyday life? b. Have you ever seen a drone taking aerial photos? c. What applications can aerial photos have? boundary: confine feature: caratteristica flat terrain: terreno piatto income: reddito ownership: proprietà plain: pianura steep terrain: terreno scosceso to store: immagazzinare topic: argomento Ancient map of the world Simply defined, maps are pictures of the Earth s surface. There are several types of maps, each shows different information. Most maps include a compass rose, which indicates which way is north, south, east and west. They also include a scale (usually shown with a bar) so you can estimate distances. The most common types of maps are: Physical maps illustrate the physical features of an area mountains, rivers and lakes. Colours are used to show different landscapes. Water is usually shown in blue, green is typically used for plains, and orange or brown indicate hills and mountains. Political maps indicate states and national boundaries, the capital and major cities. A capital city is usually marked with a star within a circle. Road maps show major motorways and roads, airports, railroad tracks, cities and other points of interest. People use road maps to plan trips and for driving directions. Topographic maps include contour lines to show the shape and elevation of an area. Lines close together indicate steep terrain and those far apart indicate flat terrain. Thematic maps emphasize a particular theme or special topics, for example political, cultural or agricultural features of an area. Economic or resource maps show the specific type of economic activity or natural resources present in an area through the use of different symbols or colours depending on what is being shown on the map. Climate maps show information about the climate of an area based on the temperature, the amount of snow and rain an area receives or average number of cloudy or sunny days in a month or year. They normally use colours to show different climatic areas. Weather maps show what the current weather in an area is and what the weather in that area will be in the coming hours or days. Cadastre maps show the accurate measures of the boundaries and ownership of each property. Mapmakers, called cartographers, create maps for many different purposes. Travellers use road maps to plan routes for their trips. Meteorologists use weather maps to prepare forecasts. City planners decide where to put hospitals and parks with the help of maps that show land features and how the land is currently being used. Thematic map: population density by country (Asia) 90 Module 3 FOUNDATIONS