Name: Class Date:

An In-Depth Look at Maps

Maps are pictures or _________________ of the Earth's surface.
They show where places are _____________ to each other by
______________, direction, and size. Maps are a way of showing
a part of the Earth's surface on a _______ piece of paper.

Maps are flat but they are made to represent an area that is on a
___________, Earth. This can cause what is called ____________
(changes in the _________ of an object). The areas of a map closest to the equator have
_______ distortion. The closer a map moves towards the poles the _______ distorted the map
becomes.

A person who makes maps is called a _________________.

Map Features

1) Compass Rose
All maps include a compass rose that shows _____________.
______________ Directions are the four base parts on a compass. The
points in between the cardinal directions are called
_________________ directions. These include northwest, northeast,
southwest, and southeast.

2) Key / Legend
Maps also have keys or legends. Maps use a key or Legend
legend to understand the ________ used on a map. The legend
explains the ___________ of each of the symbols that are used Mountain
in the map to represent different objects in an ___________.
The key usually shows a small ________ of each of the Forest
symbols used on the map, along with a written ___________ of
the meaning of each symbol. Lake
3) Scale House
Maps also have scales. Maps are __________ down so
that they can fit a large area of Earth's _________ on a small Church
piece of paper. When scaling down a map, every part of the
map is scaled by the _________ amount. A scale compares Desert
actual ___________ on the Earth's surface to distance on the
map. On the scales below, one _________ represents one actual mile, and one
_______________ equals one real kilometre.
Name: Class Date:
Types of Maps

1) Climate maps give general information about

the ___________ and __________________
(rain and snow) of a region. Cartographers, or
mapmakers, use _____________ to show
different climate or precipitation zones.

2) Economic or Resource maps feature the

major types of ______________________ or
economic activity in an area. Cartographers use
symbols to show the ________________ of
natural resources or ______________ activities.

3) Physical maps illustrate the physical features

and _________________ of an area, such as
mountains, ____________ and lakes. Water is
usually shown in __________. Colours are used
to show differences in landforms and
_______________.

4) Political maps do not show physical features. Instead, they show state and national
______________, and capitals and major __________. A capital city is usually marked with a
big _________.

5) Street maps or Road maps illustrate smaller areas such as __________ and cities.
People use street maps to find _______________ to a place they want to go. A road map
shows the ______________ or toll roads.

6) Topographic maps include _______________

lines to show the shape and ________________ of
an area. Lines that are close together show
__________ terrain, and lines that are far apart
show ___________ terrain.