Map Projections

GIS

(Geographic Information System) Computer software that layers map data from satellite images, printed text, and statistics.

thematic or special purpose map

A map made to reflect particular information about a geographic area Example: thematic maps can portray physical, social, political, cultural, economic, sociological, agricultural, population, or other aspects of a place. The image is an example that shows the resources of Louisiana.

Physical Map

A map that shows mountains, hills, plains, rivers, lakes, oceans, etc.

Topographic Map

A map that shows the shape of the ground as well as location and elevation of surface features using contour lines.

Mercator Projection

A true conformal cylindrical map projection, the Mercator projection is particularly useful for navigation because it maintains accurate direction. Mercator projections are famous for their distortion in area that makes landmasses at the poles appear oversized.

Tropics

Equatorial region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. It is characterized by generally warm or hot temperatures and high rainfall year-round, though much variation exists due to altitude and other factors.

Robinson Projection

Shows the entire Earth, with continents and oceans having nearly their true size and shapes; land near the poles appear flattened. Projection that attempts to balance several possible projection errors. It does not maintain completely accurate area, shape, distance, or direction, but it minimizes errors in each.

Conformal Map

This is a map that maintains an objects angles and shape, even of infinitesimally small objects, but can distort the size. An example is the Mercator map. Since angles and shapes are preserved, then direction is easy to navigate as a straight line can be drawn and a course plotted.

Polar Projection

View from above the North or South Pole; distorts area near equator; good for airline navigation

Map Projection

a way of representing the spherical Earth on a flat surface

Goode's Interrupted Equal-Area Projection

advantage- allows continents to stretch without distorting their shape Resembles a globe that has been cut apart & laid flat; shows true size & shape of Earths land masses; the orange activity resembles this map

great circle routes

shortest routes between any two places on the planet.

Political Map

shows the government borders for countries, states and counties, as well as the location of capitals and major cities