Map facts for kids

A map of the Earth made in 1655

A map is an image of an area, usually of the Earth or part of the Earth. A map is different from an aerial photograph because it includes interpretation.

The word "map" can also be used to talk about a chart or drawing that shows relationships between ideas, people, events, or anything else you can think about. This is why web developers call a list of web pages on a web site a site map.

People who make maps are cartographers.

Many maps today are made using GIS computer systems. These are database systems that are organized by location instead of named records.

If a map is on a piece of paper or a computer screen, it has to be projected. This is because the Earth is round and paper and screens are flat. There are a lot of ways that use mathematics to make projections. The only kind of map of the Earth that is not projected is one drawn on a sphere. This is called a globe.

Types of maps

Relief map Sierra Nevada

• Atlas
• Climatic map
• Geologic map
• Physical map
• Political map
• Relief map
• Resource map
• Star map
• Street map
• Thematic map
• Topographical map
• Weather map
• World map
• Cadastral map

Images for kids

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  World map by Gerard van Schagen, Amsterdam, 1689

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  Muhammad al-Idrisi's Tabula Rogeriana (1154), one of the most advanced early world maps.

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  A celestial map from the 17th century, by the cartographer Frederik de Wit

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  The Hereford Mappa Mundi from about 1300, Hereford Cathedral, England, is a classic "T-O" map with Jerusalem at the center, east toward the top, Europe the bottom left and Africa on the right.

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  Map of Utrecht, Netherlands (1695).

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  Cartogram: The EU distorted to show population distributions as of 2008.

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  Map of large underwater features. (1995, NOAA)

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  Geological map of the Moon

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  A USGS digital raster graphic.

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  Mean Annual Temperature map of Ohio from "Geography of Ohio" 1923

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  In a topological map, like this one showing inventory locations, the distances between locations are not important. Only the layout and connectivity between them matters.

See also

In Spanish: Mapa para niños