Everyone faced geographic maps at school. However, not all of us have ideas about their purpose and know how to use them. Modern youth believes that they do not need this knowledge, since navigators are now widespread.
What is a geographical map of the world?
A map is a thumbnail image of the Earth’s surface, which is built according to certain laws. Visibility and visibility are its most important properties.
The main components of any card are:
- cartographic projection - the mathematical law of image construction;
- the image itself;
- auxiliary elements - legend, reference information;
- additional elements - insets, terrain profiling, graphs, charts, photographs, tabular data, etc.
Types of Geographical Maps
Geographical maps of our time - a compilation of knowledge about the planet, which were the results of research by ancient scientists and transmitted over many centuries. Without knowledge of the simplest laws, cartographers could not have accurately reflected information on maps. A modern geographic map of the world can be classified according to two criteria:
- scale - large, medium and small scale;
- the topic or content of the map - general geographical, political, navigation, economic, scientific and reference, etc.
The subject of the card can be absolutely any type. For example, a geographic map of the countries of the world contains information about all states and shows their location. Topographic maps are intended for engineering research.
Areas of use
The geographical map of the world has found application in all areas of knowledge. Thanks to maps, people can get acquainted with the area in the absence of direct contact with it. Therefore, they have found application in tourist guides, are used in astronautics, ship navigation, geological exploration of natural resources, agriculture, construction, education, military affairs and many other areas.
The geographical map of the world is one of the most important inventions of mankind. Maps are used in almost all areas of knowledge. People of certain professions usually know what type of maps they need to work. Modern navigation tools are gradually replacing maps. However, no one is safe from the failure of technology, so the ability to understand the cards is necessary.