Chapter
2
Lesson
3
Putting
Maps to Work
I. Maps for Different Purposes
A.
Different types of maps show different kinds of information.
a.
Thematic Map: a map that gives
information on a particular topic.
B.
Cartographers must decide what information to include and how to show it.
II. The Shape of the Earth
A.
A map is a means of giving information about the earth.
B.
Cartographers try to make accurate maps, but they are faced with one
serious problem: the shape of the earth.
a.
The earth is a sphere, and a map is flat.
It is impossible for cartographers to accurately show the earth’s
curved surface on the flat surface of a map.
C.
Cartographers developed different types of map projections, or ways to
show the earth's curved surface.
a.
Projection: a system for representing the three-dimensional world on a
two-dimensional surface.
D.
There are four different projections.
a.
Mercator: the shapes of the
continent are fairly accurate, but their sizes are greatly distorted, especially
near the poles.
b.
Peters:
the sizes of the continents are accurate as compared with each other, but
the shapes of the continents are distorted.
c.
Goode’s: combination of two other projections. The map shows little distortion of size or shape.
d. Robinson: the sizes and shapes of continents and the distances between places are fairly accurate. This is a good compromise.