CGC1D – Gr. 9 Geography of Canada

Maps: The Geographer’s Basic Tools

An Introduction to Mapping

1. Parts of a Map – Map Symbols– Mapping Your Location

2. Types of Maps – Grid Systems– Topographic Map Study

3. Using Latitude and Longitude

4. Political Map of Canada (already completed!)

5. Pear Island Mapping Exercise

1. What is a Map?

• A map is a representation of the Earth’s features drawn on a flat surface.

• Maps use symbols and colours to represent features of an area, simplifying the real world.

Alberta

Nunav ut

BritishColumb

ia

Alberta

Manitoba

Quebec

Ontario

Nov a Scotia

Prince EdwardIsland

Newfoundland andLabrador

New Brunswick

Northwest

Territories

Canada

Yukon

Territory

Ontario

Manitoba Quebec

Saskatchewan

Alberta

British Columbia

YukonTerritory

NorthwestTerritories

Nunav ut

Political Regions

N

Features on a Map

• A. Title – identifies the area shown, topic, focus, or purpose of the map

• B. Legend – explains the meaning of symbols and colours used on the map

• C. Scale – represents the relationship between distance on the map and distance in the real world

• D. Direction – often represented with an arrow • E. Border – sets the map apart from other

information• F. Date of Publication – indicates how recent

the map is

What are the points on a compass for?

• A compass is a way of finding direction

• The four cardinal points are N, E, S, W

• The points all have corresponding degrees of a circle (0° → 360°)

Types of Maps

• Road Maps

– Mostly use alphanumeric system (like Battleship!)

• Topographic Maps

– Use military grid system (4 numbers or 6 numbers)

• Thematic Maps

Types of Maps

• Road Maps– A map drawn to scale using symbols and colours to

indicate major highways and roads for transportation purposes

– Often other features are shown on road maps such as parks, hospitals, and tourist attractions

– Can be both small scale (a country map) and large scale (a city map)

Types of Maps

• Topographic Maps– A map that indicates scale, using symbols and colours

for both natural and human features on the Earth’s surface

– Shows the Earth’s surface in great detail (large scale)– Depicts the height of land features (topography)– Often shows roads, settlements, vegetation cover,

power lines, etc.

Types of Maps

• Thematic Maps– A map that reveals the geographic patterns of

statistical data– Usually focuses on one

theme or topic (e.g. population distribution)

– Are designed to display distributions over the Earth’s surface

Text Assignment

• Use your textbook and your text assignment to answer Qs #4-7

Lines on the Earth

• Latitude– imaginary lines that measure the distance north or

south of the Equator (0°)– lines are parallel to the Equator at regular intervals

(approximately 111 kilometres apart)

0o

23.5oN

66.5oN

23.5oS

66.5oS

90oN

90oS

North PoleArctic Circle

Tropic of Cancer

Equator

Tropic of Capricorn

Antarctic CircleSouth Pole

Lines on the Earth

• Longitude– imaginary lines that measure the distance east or

west of the Prime Meridian (0°)– all lines begin and end at the poles and therefore are

not at a fixed distance apart– the Prime Meridian (0°) was arbitrarily chosen at a

point that runs through Greenwich, England– the International Date Line (180°) is the point where

one day begins and one day ends

Lines on the Earth

• The Prime Meridian

Lines on the Earth

• Time Zones

Text Assignment

• Complete questions # 8-10 using the textbook and your text assignment

Scale

• Direct Statement Scale uses words to describe what a distance on a map represents in the real world

• 1 cm = 10 kilometres

– Linear Scale uses a special ruler on a map to show what a distance on a map represents in the real world

• 0 km 400 km

– Representative Fraction Scale is a ratio where one unit on a map represents a specific number of the same unit in the real world

• 1:50 000 (1 cm on the map represents 50 000 cm, or 0.5 km in the real world) to help you convert remember that 1 km = 100 000 cm

Scale

Area Detail Example

Large Scale Maps

Small A lot

(streets, schools, railways, …)

Topographic maps, road maps, city bus maps

Small Scale Maps

Large A little

(borders, lakes, large rivers, …)

Globes, world maps, atlases

Scale – Mapping Our Location

• Anderson Collegiate Map

Scale – Mapping Our Location

• Anderson Community Map

Scale – Mapping Our Location

• Town of Whitby Map

Scale – Mapping Our Location

• Region of Durham Map

Scale – Mapping Our Location

• Southern Ontario Map

Scale – Mapping Our Location

• Ontario Map

Scale – Mapping Our Location

• Canada Map

Scale – Mapping Our Location

• World Map

Text Assignment

• Complete questions #11-13 of the text assignment using your textbook.