We explain what maps are, their characteristics, their elements and the types that exist. Also, its history and its different uses.
What are maps?
Maps are a graphic and scale representation of the earth's surface. They can be of various types: physical, political, topographical, thematic, among the most frequent.
The different types of maps are made from a geographic coordinate system and various cartographic projection techniques. This involves the transformation of the spherical features of the planet into a flat surface, which necessarily produces a certain degree of distortion.
The main elements that make up the maps are, in addition to the image itself, the title, the scale, the legend or reference table and the compass rose.
Other uses of the term: Also called map to certain graphic organizers that serve to order, systematize and prioritize study or research topics. For example: mind map, concept map, semantic map.
Map Features
The main features of the maps are:
- It is a graphic and scale representation of the Earth's surface.
- They are used for location and orientation in a territory.
- It is believed that they have existed for more than 5,000 years.
- There are different types: topographical, physical, political, thematic, among others.
- They are a widely used tool in school and educational settings.
- They can be used to understand processes and phenomena that happen on Earth.
- Nowadays, most are digital.
- GPS is used to guide users to their own location or other directions.
Types of maps
The main types of maps that exist are:
- Physical maps. They focus mainly on information related to relief and hydrography.
- Political maps. They mainly focus on political boundaries, major cities, routes and roads.
- Topographic maps. They include information about the elevation of the terrain through the use of contour lines, as well as the location of rivers, lakes, mountains, roads, important buildings and other landscape elements.
- Thematic maps. They represent specific information about a particular topic or phenomenon, such as population density, climate, distribution of natural resources, prevalence of diseases, among others.
- Historical maps. They represent the geography of a region at a specific period in the past. They can show the evolution of borders, the distribution of ancient populations or the advance of armies during a war, among others.
- Nautical maps. They provide information on depths, ocean currents, lighthouses and elements that may represent dangers to navigation.
- urban maps. They are maps of a city or a sector of it, which detail the streets, services, tourist information and other elements of interest.
Elements of a map
The main elements that make up the maps, in addition to the image itself, are:
- Qualification. The title provides a brief description of the content and purpose of the map. Indicate what it is about and what specific area or topic it addresses.
- Legend or references. The legend explains the meaning of the symbols, colors and other signs used on the map.
- Scale. The scale indicates the relationship between distances on the map and actual distances on the ground. It can be represented numerically (for example, 1:100,000) or graphically (with a bar showing the equivalence of distances).
- wind rose. The compass rose shows the orientation of the map through the cardinal points (north, south, east, west).
- Source and publication date. The source indicates the entity or person who created the map and the publication date shows when it was made.
- Cartographic projection. Map projection is the method used to represent the curved surface of the Earth on a flat surface.
History of maps
Maps are as old as civilization itself. They emerged as soon as human beings had the need to explore unknown or unusual territories, whether as part of exploration, trade or conquest initiatives.
The first recorded maps date back to ancient Mesopotamia, 5,000 years ago. These were rudimentary maps carved in stone or drawn in caves. They were not precise in the modern sense, but they showed the need for orientation and location of these prehistoric humans.
The first flat maps are believed to have been created by the Babylonians around 600 BC. c. In Ancient Greece, cartography was developed thanks to philosophers and geographers such as Anaximander, Hecataeus and, later, Ptolemy. Ptolemy, in particular, with his work Geographylaid the foundations of modern cartography, introducing concepts such as latitude and longitude, and compiling an atlas that included maps of the known world in his time.
During the Middle Ages, cartography in Europe suffered a setback in terms of precision and detail. The maps that were produced were influenced by the Catholic Church and tended to focus on symbolic and religious representations. In the Islamic world, cartography developed with cartographers such as Al-Idrisi, who created highly detailed maps of the known world in his time.
The European Renaissance also marked the development of cartography, driven by the arrival of Europeans to America and the invention of the printing press. Map production became more accurate and accessible: maps such as those of Gerardus Mercator, with its famous projection that allowed easier navigation, spread throughout Europe.
This laid the foundations for the expansion of colonial empires, such as Spain, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, which carried out important cartographic initiatives to be able to know, organize and divide the colonized territories in America, Africa and Asia.
Currently, aerial photographs and the development of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) make it possible to produce maps with very precise and detailed information on the Earth's surface. These tools enable the analysis and visualization of data in real time and the use of navigators such as GPS.
What are maps for?
The main function of maps is offer a simplified and understandable view of the territory that allows people to find routes and locations, as well as understand processes and dynamics that happen in geographic space.
In the educational field, Maps help students understand geographic concepts and processes as well as to visualize the spatial distribution of natural and human phenomena.
In addition, maps are very useful tools for urban and regional planning. Through geographic information systems (GIS), they are used to study data related to demographics, the economy and the environment.
Through GPS, maps also help people locate themselves in the territory and find the best alternatives to get from one place to another. Updating maps in real time allows you to select the best routes based on variables such as traffic or road closures.
References
- Garmendia, C. (2020). Cartographic projections: what should I know? Idecor. https://www.idecor.gob.ar/
- National Geographic Institute. (sf). Map concept. Didactic Atlas. https://educativo.ign.es/
- Lifeder. (sf). Planisphere. https://www.lifeder.com/
