
Types of Maps: Topographic, Political, Climate, and More
- Political Maps. A political map does not show topographic features like mountains. ...
- Physical Maps. A physical map is one that documents landscape features of a place. ...
- Topographic Maps. A topographic map is similar to a physical map in that it shows different physical landscape features.
- Climate Maps. ...
- Economic or Resource Maps. ...
- Road Maps. ...
- Thematic Maps. ...
What information is on a physical map?
Physical maps show the natural details of the land and water included in the area. Makers of physical maps use colors and gradients of colors as well as different types of lines and symbols to depict elevation and different types of land.
What is the main purpose of a physical map?
Physical maps often include much of the same data found on a political map, but their primary purpose is to show landforms like deserts, mountains and plains. Their topography style presents an overall better picture of the local terrain.
What features are shown on a physical map?
What should be included on a map?
- Title.
- Scale.
- Legend.
- Compass.
- Latitude and Longitude.
What type of information does a physical map show?
The main objective of a physical map is to show landforms, bodies of water and other geographical features. Features shown include mountains, deserts and lowlands as well as lakes, rivers and oceans. Physical maps show the natural details of the land and water included in the area.

What are the types of physical maps?
Types of MapsGeneral Reference (sometimes called planimetric maps)Topographic Maps.Thematic.Navigation Charts.Cadastral Maps and Plans.
Why is called physical map?
Physical Map: A physical map shows physical features of the earth. Mountains, plains, plateau, desert, rivers, oceans, etc. come under the physical features. A physical map is also called relief map.
What are 5 physical features on a map?
Physical maps show natural features such as mountains, lowlands, major rivers, seas, oceans and ecosystems like deserts and rainforests on a global scale. On a national scale, physical maps show relief and drainage features, such as rivers.
What are physical maps 7 class?
Physical maps are maps that show natural features of the earth such as mountains, plateaus, plains, rivers and oceans. They are also known as relief maps.
What are physical maps Class 6?
Physical Maps - A map that presents the natural features of the earth is known as a physical map. For instance the demonstration of mountains, plateaus, oceans, rivers etc.
What are 4 physical features?
Physical features include landforms, bodies of water, climate, natural vegetation and soil.
What are 3 features of a physical map?
Physical MapA physical map shows the physical features of an area.It also provides readers with information about the topography, or the height, depth, and shape, of these features.Physical maps identify mountains, deserts, bodies of water, and other landforms.
What are the 6 basic features of a map?
Along with scale, symbols, and grids, other features appear regularly on maps. A good way to remember these features is DOGSTAILS: date, orientation, grid, scale, title, author, index, legend, and sources.
What is a physical map Class 8?
Maps representing natural features such as physiography, climate, etc. are called physical maps.
Why physical map is the best?
By the use of colors and specialized key, Physical Maps are the best source to understand a terrain if an individual seeks to use a paper map. Moreover, other things such as elevation of the land, important borders, waterbodies and deserts are clearly highlighted, which helps a lot in geological studies too.
What is a physical map of India?
A physical map of India shows all the physiographic regions of the nation. In terms of physiography, the country can be listed in the following regions: The Islands. Coastal Plains.
What is the difference between genetic and physical map?
Genetic and physical maps illustrate the arrangement of genes and DNA markers on a chromosome. The relative distances between positions on a genetic map are calculated using recombination frequencies, whereas a physical map is based on the actual number of nucleotide pairs between loci.
What is the purpose of a physical map?
The main objective of a physical map is to show landforms, bodies of water and other geographical features. Features shown include mountains, deserts and lowlands as well as lakes, rivers and oceans. Physical maps show the natural details of the land and water included in the area. Makers of physical maps use colors and gradients ...
What is the difference between a political map and a physical map?
While a political map focuses on cities, capitals and political boundaries, the physical map depicts the geography of the area.
What is a physical map?
Physical Map. A physical map of a chromosome or a genome that shows the physical locations of genes and other DNA sequences of interest. Physical maps are used to help scientists identify and isolate genes by positional cloning.
What does a physical map indicate?
At a minimum, physical maps depict the relative order of landmarks across a chromosome; more refined physical maps actually indicate the exact distances between adjacent landmarks. Nowadays, very precise physical maps can be constructed based on the actual sequence of a chromosome, which provides exact base pair distances between landmarks.
What is the purpose of a physical map of DNA?
Narration. Physical maps of DNA reflect the location of landmarks across a chromosome. Such landmarks can correspond to functional parts of the DNA, such as genes, or just random non-functional sequences. At a minimum, physical maps depict the relative order of landmarks across a chromosome; more refined physical maps actually indicate ...
What is physical map?
Physical maps provide information about relief or topography or the shape, depth, and height of the natural features.
Why are physical maps used?
Since physical maps are used to show the Earth’s geographic features and natural landscape, these maps can be used by almost anyone who requires information about a region’s geology or geography.
What are the similarities between political and physical maps?
Although physical and political maps are different, they share certain similarities or some common features. Both maps feature different colors, representing distinct elements. Thus, the first thing one will notice on the maps is the different colors. The other common similarity between the two maps is that a physical map can indicate certain political features and vice versa. For instance, a political map may contain geographic features like oceans and mountains, while physical maps may contain political boundaries. Also, both maps have some names on them, indicating the various places represented on the maps.
What does the blue line on a map mean?
Drainage features, such as oceans, sea, lakes, rivers, and gulfs, often appear blue, with light blue representing shallow areas and the color darkening as the water body becomes deeper. Rivers and streams are represented by thin blue lines, while white represents ice caps and glaciers. Like other maps, physical maps have a map key that explains all the symbols on the map.
What are some examples of maps?
Thematic maps show different variations or themes across geographic areas. A weather map showing monthly precipitation or daily temperatures across North America is an example of a thematic map. Other examples include resource maps and income maps. Reference maps show Earth’s different attributes, including physical features, geographic locations and boundaries, and other places such as towns and cities. Physical maps, political maps, road maps, topographic maps, and geologic maps are examples of reference maps. This article focuses on political and physical maps and the difference between the two maps.
Why are physical maps important?
Physical and political maps are among the most popularly used reference maps because they show some of the most important places and features on the planet. Although physical maps illustrate most of the information found in political maps, the two types of maps serve different purposes and bear other different elements ...
What are political boundaries?
However, political boundaries are mostly imaginary lines decided through negotiations and treaties. Although political maps do not show topographic features, they may indicate certain physical elements, including drainage features such as lakes, rivers, and oceans, and mountains. These physical features on a political map are only used as ...
What is the map of the world?
The map shows a representation of the world, the land, and the seas of Earth. It displays a satellite image of the continents with countries and a shaded relief of the seabed.
How much land is there on Earth?
The total area of the earth's surface (land and water) is slightly more than 510 million km² at sea level (100%).
What are the extreme points of the Earth?
Extreme points of Earth and other fun facts. The map shows various extreme points and other important features of the Earth, such as continents, oceans and large islands, deserts, mountains, countries, and capital cities. The surface of the Western Hemisphere of the Earth with South America in the center and Antarctica at the bottom.
How many oceans are there?
How many oceans are there? In fact, there is only one ocean, a large continuous body of water with relatively free exchange (currents) between its parts.
Where is the southern end of Earth's axis?
The southern end of the earth's axis is located at the center of the Southern Hemisphere in Antarctica. A traditional totora reed raft on Lake Titicaca, seen from Sun Island, Bolivia. Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America and known as the "highest navigable lake" in the world. Image: Germarquezm.
Which hemisphere is the solar eclipse?
The surface of the Western Hemisphere of the Earth with South America in the center and Antarctica at the bottom. On the right side of the globe a partial solar eclipse is visible, which occurs when a part of the Earth gets into a shadow cast by the moon. Image: NASA - Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera. Area.
What is the latitude and longitude of Europe and Africa?
The map of the world centered on Europe and Africa shows 30° la titude and longitude at 30° intervals, all continents, sovereign states, dependencies, oceans, seas, large islands, and island groups, countries with international borders, and their capital city. You are free to use the above map for educational and similar purposes (fair use);
What are the different types of maps?
Clockwise from top left: weather map, topographic map, political map, digital street map, income map, and geologic map.
What color is used in a physical map?
Physical maps are designed to show the natural landscape features of Earth. They are best known for showing topography, either by colors or as shaded relief. Physical maps often have a green to brown to gray color scheme for showing the elevation of the land. Darker greens are used for near-sea-level elevations, with the color grading into tans and browns as elevations increase. The color gradient often terminates in shades of gray for the highest elevations.
What are weather maps used for?
They are used to show predicted temperatures, predicted precipitation, storm warnings of various kinds, wind speed and direction, chance of precipitation, type of precipitation, snow accumulation, frost prediction and many other aspects of weather.
What is zip code map?
Zip Code Maps are maps that show the approximate boundary of zip code areas used by the United States Postal Service. They are usually plotted over a base map that shows the roads and streets within the zip code area.
What is topographic map?
Topographic maps are reference maps that show the shape of Earth’s surface. They usually do this with lines of equal elevation known as "contour lines", but elevation can also be shown using colors (second map), color gradients, shaded relief and a number of other methods.
What are election results maps?
The geographic areas are usually political subdivisions of a country (states), of a state (counties), etc. The most famous examples of election results maps are the red-state / blue-state maps of the United States presidential election. States won by a majority of votes for the Republican candidate are known as "red states", and those won by a majority of votes for the Democratic candidate are known as "blue states". The accompanying map is an example. It maps the results of the 2016 United States presidential election.
What are political maps?
Political Maps. "Political maps" are among the most widely used reference maps. They are mounted on the walls of classrooms throughout the world. They show the geographic boundaries between governmental units such as countries, states, and counties.
What are the characteristics of a physical map?
Physical maps also show climates and weather patterns, types of soil, and the built infrastructure of a region, such as roads, railway lines, and buildings. This physical map shows elevations in the United States by ...
What are the physical features of a map?
Physical maps are maps that show the natural details and landforms, terrain, and bodies of water of an area using different colors, lines, and symbols to show elevation and types of land and often show political boundaries as well. Physical maps show us regions that have the same physical characteristics. These characteristics include mountains, deserts, plains, forests, wetlands, rivers, lakes, seas, and other bodies of water. Physical maps also show climates and weather patterns, types of soil, and the built infrastructure of a region, such as roads, railway lines, and buildings.
Which biome is largely protected because of the many different ecosystems that exist in the area and contains the world'?
Alaskan Panhandle: a large group of islands in the temperate rainforest biome that is largely protected because of the many different ecosystems that exist in the area and contains the world's. largest population of humpback whales. island: a landmass that is surrounded by water.
Is South Central Alaska a peninsula?
South Central Alaska is a gulf coastal region. A gulf is a part of an ocean that is surrounded by land on three sides. It is the opposite of a peninsula. South Central Alaska contains a variety of different landscapes and climates and it is hard to place it into one particular biome.
What Is a Physical Map?
Physical maps show the natural landscape features of Earth. They are best known for showing topography, either by colors or as shaded relief. Physical maps often have a green to brown to gray color scheme to show the elevation of the land. Darker greens are used for near-sea-level elevations, with the color grading into tans and browns as elevations increase. The color gradient often terminates in shades of gray for the highest mountains.
What color are rivers, lakes, seas and oceans?
Rivers, lakes, seas and oceans are usually shown in blue, often with a light blue color for the most shallow areas and darkening in a gradient or by intervals for areas of deeper water. Glaciers and ice caps are shown in white colors. Physical maps usually show the most important political boundaries, such as state and country boundaries.
Where are the Appalachian Mountains?
The Appalachian Mountains can be traced from Alabama into New York. The Adirondak Mountains of New York, the White Mountains of New England, and the Catskill Mountains of New York are also visible. Topography in the western United States is dominated by the Rocky Mountains. Other major ranges in the west include the Bitterroot Range of Idaho, ...
What are the major ranges in the West?
Other major ranges in the west include the Bitterroot Range of Idaho, the Cascade Range of Washington and Oregon, the Coast Range of California and Oregon, the Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada. Other physical features visible on this map include the Coastal Plain, Central Lowlands, Great Plains, Columbia Plateau, Death Valley, ...

Advantages
- Symbolic Depiction:
- Better Navigation:
- Depiction of a high Degree:
- Significant Overview:
- Symbolic Depiction:
- Better Navigation:
- Depiction of a high Degree:
- Significant Overview:
• Elevation and Height
- The most important part is the elevation of the topographical features represented on the map. The map uses colors to demarcate the difference in altitude of different features. The spectrum starts with blue and slowly turns towards bright red as the elevation increases. Usually since the bright red shows all elevations above 1500m, a black arrow facing upwards is placed with a num…
• National Borders and Cities
- National borders present on the map are usually shown with a red line, if any other color is used, it is shown in the key. While the city names are written with pink in most cases.
• Rivers, Seas and Oceans and Its Depth
- Rivers are usually shown with a simple line to give emphasis on the land features around it. While the lakes and seas are shown on a larger scale as they are bigger waterbodies. Another key feature about waterbodies such as the Sea and Oceans is that a small blue arrow facing down is usually found on the waterbody, with a negative numerical value, this numerical value shows the …
• Scale
- One of the most important components of a map is the scale. A scale is used to measure distances easily, since you cannot replicate the exact same distance on a map, a scale is used to calculate its size in real life. In this particular case it means that 1 cm on the map is equal to 25,000,000 or 25 million centimeters in real life. Using this key, Physical Maps can easily be rea…
Example 1: Physical Map of The World
- In this Physical Map of the world the different topographical features can be clearly seen due to the different colors used. On the bottom left you can see the key while on the right bottom corner, the scale to be used. On this map a lot of the features my not be highlighted, as only important mountains and their elevation is mentioned. The world Physical Map aims to provide an overall …