Study Unit 2: Types and uses of

maps

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 Learning Outcomes
❑Explain how maps are classified into different types

❑Explain the purposes of different types of maps

❑Outline the different characteristics that make up different map

types

❑Explain the importance of the different elements of maps

❑Discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of specific

map types
❑ Distinguish the various map symbols
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 What is a MAP?

• Refer to Study Unit 1

Types and uses of maps

 What is a Map
A map can be considered a spatial information system
that answers many questions. Concerning the area
depicted:
❑ the distance between points,
❑ the position of points with respect to each other,
❑ the size of areas, and
❑ the nature of distribution patterns.

Types and uses of maps

 Basic characteristics of maps
 All maps are concerned with two primary elements:
 location - in two-dimensional (space and extent)
 attributes - qualities or quantities
 Relationships among locations, e.g. Distance
 Relationships among various attributes at one location, e.g.
Temperature, soil & etc.
 Relationships among the locations of the attributes of a given
distribution, e.g. Rainfall
 Relationships among the locations of derived or combined attributes
of given distributions, e.g., the Relation of GDP and population
 Basic characteristics of maps
 all maps are reductions of reality
◼ scale
 all maps are transformations of space
◼ map projections and coordinate systems
 all maps are abstractions of reality
◼ generalization and its components
 all maps use signs and symbolism
◼ cartographic symbolization
 Maps are vertical or oblique views of the
environment
 Purposes of Maps
 Traditionally, maps are used as aids to navigation, as
reference documents, and as wall decorations.

 Maps have four functions/roles today:

◼ Data display
 maps provide helpful ways of displaying information in a meaningful way in
practice, the cost of making and printing a map is high, so its contents are
often a compromise between different needs
◼ Data stores
 as a means of storing data, maps can be very efficient high-density stores; a
typical 1:50,000 map might have 1,000 place names on it.
 Purposes of Maps
◼ Data indexes
 a map can show the boundaries of areas (e.g. land use
zones, soil or rock types) and identify each area with a
label.
◼ Data analysis tool
 as maps are used in analysis to make or test
hypotheses, such as the identification of cancer clusters
and examine the relationship between two distributions
using simple, transparent overlays
 Values of Maps
Maps gain their value in the three ways:
❑ As a way of recording and storing information

❑ As a means of analysing locational distributions and spatial

patterns

❑ As a method of presenting information and communicating

findings
 Maps as Information Products
 Maps provide us with information,
◼ meaning they help us find,
◼ confirm, and
◼ explain answers to questions

 Consequently, they are information products.

 In economy, three fundamental questions are used to
characterize products in general
◼ What is produced?
◼ How is it produced?
◼ For whom is it produced?
 This question that guides the cartographic production process:
How do I say what to whom? 11
 What Makes a Good Map?
 If cartography is a form of communication,
 the measure of a good map is how well it conveys information
to its readers to:
◼ enlighten,
◼ convince, or
◼ persuade.
 To ask, "what makes a good map?” is to ask how well it
communicates with its audience
 i.e.
◼ Accuracy
◼ Generalization, simplification and exaggeration
◼ Symbolization 12
 What Makes Maps So Popular?
 In scrutinizing the nature of maps, the obvious question
is, what accounts for their widespread popularity?

 There are four main factors:

◼ Maps are convenient to use.
◼ Maps simplify our surroundings
◼ Maps are credible
◼ Maps have a strong visual impact.

History of Cartography 13
 Conditions For Proper Use of The Maps

When one to profit from this power of maps, certain

conditions have to be met:
a. One should be familiar with suitable map use strategies e.g.
relationship between mapped objects, their conditions and
themselves.
b. One should have access to the relevant data sets.
c. Metadata on data quality should be available to assist in
the decision-making process.
d. It is possible to integrate the various data sets, if necessary,
by modelling them (for instance, generalization).

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Types of Maps

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 REMINDER

The defining characteristics of a map are:

 Location and attributes
 Scale
 Projection and coordinate systems
 Abstraction
 Signs and symbols

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 MAP TYPES

 It is essential to know the different map types as it gives an insight into

the display types, source of data, and how to collect data.

 Maps can be classified according to their purposes, production method,

theme and the map’s scale.

 In practice, we normally think of two types of maps: topographic and

thematic maps,

 Which can be presented as line or photo maps and can be stored in hard-
or soft-copy

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 MAP CLASSIFICATION

1. Maps based on main FUNCTIONS

◼Orientation,
◼Physical planning,
◼Forecasts,
◼Management,
◼Education

History of Cartography 18
 MAP CLASSIFICATION
2. Maps grouped according to similarity in the specific
METHODS used
e.g.
 isoline method
◼ Mapping line data
 dot method
◼ Mapping Point Data
 choropleth method
◼ Mapping Area Data

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 Isoline

isoline method
Mapping line data
History of Cartography 20
Thematic
 dot method
 Mapping Point Data

History of Cartography 21
Choropleth

choropleth method
Mapping Area Data

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3.Maps according to the THEMES:
 Physical planning maps,
 Town plans,
 Weather charts,
 Geological maps,
 Population maps,
 Language maps, etc.

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4. Maps can also be classified according to their SCALE
 small, medium and large-scale maps.

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 MAP TYPES
 In practice, we normally think of two types of maps:
topographic and thematic maps.

 What is the difference between these two?

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 TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS
 Primarily focus on representing the
physical features of a landscape or
terrain.
 They provide detailed information
about the natural and human-made
features of an area, such as
mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes,
forests, roads, and buildings.
 These maps use contour lines to
depict the elevation and shape of the
land surface.

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TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS
 Often acts as a frame for
other information
 Have positional accuracy,
 They are required for site
location,
 Engineering purposes, and
 They have the validity of
legal documents
 Basis for boundary
determination,
 representation of relief
etc. 27
THEMATIC MAPS
 These are more specific than topographical maps.
 Thematic maps depict information that may or may not
be directly observable
 , i.e. a tool to communicate geographical concepts such
as:
◼ the distribution of population densities,
◼ climate,
◼ movement of goods,
◼ land use,
◼ forest type,
◼ amount of rainfall,
◼ temperature etc.

History of Cartography 28
 THEMATIC MAPS
 As general maps attempt to portray the
positional relationship of a variety of
different attributes on the map.

 Thematic maps concentrate on spatial

variations of a single attribute or the
relationship among several.

 There is no limit to subject matter; they

are commonly small-scale maps.

 They help in understanding a specific

attribute.

History of Cartography 29
 Thematic maps
 Usually made with a single subject in mind.
 Often, that subject has to do with revealing the spatial
distribution of one or two attribute data sets.
 (e.g., to help readers understand changing ZA demographics as with the
population change map).
 Alternatively, thematic maps can have a decision-making
purpose.
 (e.g., to help users make travel decisions as with the real-time traffic
map).

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TOPOGRAPHIC AND THEMATIC
MAPS  TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS supply a general
image of the earth’s surface: roads, rivers,
buildings, vegetation, relief, names, etc.
 THEMATIC MAPS represent the distribution
of one phenomenon.
◼ Every thematic map, as a basis, needs
topography information. Often, this is
provided by a topographic map where
minor features have been omitted.
◼ A thematic map would also emerge if one
aspect of the topographic maps (such as
roads) is highlighted so that the other
categories of data on the map are perceived
as ground.

History of Cartography 31
Map symbols

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Map symbols
 A symbol is a drawing or sign that stands for a real place or
thing
 Symbols can be made for nearly everything
 Map symbols
 Map symbols can be regarded as the ‘technical
language’ used by cartographers to address the person
using the map.
 They are drawn in different shapes, sizes and colours
and are explained in a key or legend on the map.
 By standardising the way in which features are
indicated on a map, the cartographer ensures that all
map users have the same understanding of what they
see.
 Conventional and
unconventional map symbols
 conventional map symbols
map symbols are drawn to fixed specifications (the same size, shape
and colour)
For example official map series of a country,
 unconventional symbols
usually used for individually drawn maps that do not form
part of a series,
nothing prevents geographers from using different and
unique map symbols.
 Qualitative and quantitative
map symbols
 A qualitative map symbol indicates kind only. It is used to
answer the question WHAT IS WHERE? The symbol indicates
the distribution of a feature on the earth’s surface.
 A quantitative map symbol indicates kind and
quantity. It is used to answer the questions WHAT
IS WHERE? and HOW MUCH IS THERE?
Point, line and area symbols
 A point symbol indicates a feature that is distributed at a
specific point or series of points on the earth’s surface.
◼ Examples include churches, schools, lighthouses,
 A line symbol depicts linear features that are distributed along
a line.
◼ Examples include boundaries, roads, rivers, power lines, canals, etc.
 An area symbol indicate features that are distributed within a
given surface area.
◼ Examples include dams, cultivated fields, built-up areas, lakes,
swamps, etc.
Uniform and variable map
symbols
 An uniform map symbol is used when the symbol has a
specific size, shape or value.
 A dot representing 5000 people on a population map is an
example of an uniform map symbol.
 A variable map symbol is used when the size of the
symbol varies in proportion to the quantity it
represents. An example is proportional circles that
are used to depict the size of towns according to
their population numbers.
RECAP
THANK YOU

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