What is a Map?

A map is a representation of the Earth’s features drawn on a flat surface. This can vary from rocks to paper. Furthermore, maps are not like photographs because they can only show diagrams and symbols and do not show what the land is actually like. For example, streets may be shown as yellow lines, and airports often are shown with a drawing of an airplane.

A map also simplifies the real world. For example, a map of Canada shows only the few major cities (such as Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary) but no highways or any other feature. Therefore, the maker of any map must decide the crucial or key features to include and which ones to ignore, depending on the map’s purpose. For example, a person with a sweet tooth might want a map that includes every bakery, and candy store in the city. These types of maps often are the easiest to use.

What Are the Map Requirements?

Whenever someone decides to create a map, certain features and procedures must be followed. The reason that they must do this is so that it can help not only the reader to read and understand but to make a better visual effect as well. There are seven most basic key items you need in a map. They are:

1. Title: This identifies the area shown on the map and states the topic, focus, and/or purpose of the map.
2. Legend: This regularly boxed area is contented with symbols, colours, and other details that the reader needs to know that is shown on the map.
3. Scale: This compares distance between points on the map with the actual distance between distances between those points on the Earth’s surface. This allows reader to measure distance and calculate area and size easier.
4. Date of Publication: This information on the map is crucial. It indicates how recent the map was made. For example, if you had a Canadian map before 1999, it would not show Nunavut. So it is very important to check the map’s produced date.
5. Direction: This feature can be represented by twp ways: either by a direction arrow or the inclusion of latitude and longitude lines.
6. Border: This sets the map apart from other information.
7. Focus Boundary: This sets the focus by bordering lines from your main place from other outside lands.

How Are Maps Applicable to Daily Life?

Not only do you use maps on the road or when you are lost, you can use them almost anywhere. The most common for a regular citizen would be malls, markets, resorts, etc. Perhaps you even gone to many other countries and were in need of one. Just think, there are so many maps we probably take them for granted and don’t even notice them!