What are Maps: Geography NCERT Notes for UPSC

Types of Maps

• Physical Maps: Maps showing natural features of the Earth such as mountains, plateaus, plains, rivers, oceans, etc. are called physical or relief maps. 
• Political Maps: Maps showing cities, towns and villages, and different countries and states of the world with their boundaries are called political maps. 
• Thematic Maps: Some maps focus on specific information; such as roadmaps, rainfall maps, maps showing the distribution of forests, industries, etc. are known as thematic maps. 

Important components of maps

• Scale: Scale is the ratio between the actual distance on the ground and the distance shown on the map. Small scale and large scale maps are two types of maps.
• Cardinal points: These points on maps are directions such as North, East, West, and South.
• Symbols: Maps have a universal language that can be understood by all. There is an international agreement regarding the use of these symbols. These are called conventional symbols.

• Sketch: A sketch is a drawing mainly based on memory and spot observation and not to scale. It is a rough drawing without scale.
• Plan: A plan is a drawing of a small area on a large scale. A large-scale map gives a lot of information, for example, the length and breadth of a room, which can’t be shown on a map. 

Thus, maps act as a blue print as it provides authentic information about any place or region.

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