ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF MAPS

INTRODUCTION• maps provides lots of information but

one must know to read and understand. Certain maps are provided with tools or aids to understand the are called essential features of map

Title GridScale

Legend Direction

TITLE

DIRECTION • N E W S

(CARDINAL POINTS)• LETTER N

DENOTES north line as the arrow pointes towards the geographical north

N E W S (CARDINAL POINTS)

INTERMEDIATE DIRECTIONS

SCALE• It is not possible to show all the places on the map in their actual proportion,

therefore the places are reduced in size. This reduction is based on SCALE.

• It’s a RATIO BETWEEN DISTANCE ON MAP AND DISTANCE ON A GROUND

Legend • On map its very difficult to show all the features such as settlements , bridges

post office railway lines. They are depicted using CONVENTIONAL SIGNS AND SYMBOLS

GRID • Horizontal and vertical lines drawn on

map , which criss-cross each other forms a network or grid.

• These lines are measured in Degrees

parallel of latitudes

meridians of longitude

Parallel of latitudes • A set of an imaginary lines drawn

horizontally between the poles and parallel to each other.

• Runs in E-W direction

• Exactly midway two poles is known as equator

Meridians of longitude • A set of an imaginary lines drawn

vertically.

• Runs in N-S direction