4 Hi My name is Mapolean but you can call me Map I’ll pop up from time to time to give you some tips on being map smart Be Map Smart Are you map smart Knowing about maps and how to read them is very important There will be many times in our lives when we will need to use a map Being map smart is a useful skill for life What Is a Map A map is a drawing of something that gives a person a view of it from above A map can show the shape and location of countries small areas of land natural features such as rivers and artificial features such as roads There are many types of maps for many different uses A map can guide people from one place to another It can show them where different places are and how far away one place is from another Maps can save people time and energy by helping them not get lost Maps are available in many different forms and people use them in different ways
5 Country Maps All of the land on Earth is made up of continents These are large sections of land that are usually surrounded by seas A continent may contain many countries or just one country Some countries are islands Country maps are drawings that show us how a country is laid out What Do Country Maps Show Country maps show us the features of a country Some of these features are natural Others are determined by humans These features may include elevation bodies of water state and country borders capitals When Do People Use Country Maps People can use country maps to find a city or other feature in a country They may also use a country map if they are traveling across a country the map acts as a guide and shows them exactly where they are A detailed country map may be used by a family setting out to see their own country The Smallest and Largest Countries The smallest country in the world is Vatican City and the largest country in the world is the Russian Federation If maps of Vatican City and the Russian Federation were of the same scale the map of Vatican City would fit into the map of the Russian Federation 38,807,727 times
6 Types of Country Maps There are many types of country maps each providing different information about a country Some maps show where the main cities and towns are as well as the main roads that link these places Others may show state borders Some maps focus on a country’s natural features while others show the types of industries in different parts of a country Climate Maps Climate maps provide information on rainfall temperature and other weather-related features in an area They often use color to highlight climate differences This climate map shows the average annual or yearly temperatures in India The coldest parts of the country are represented by the color purple while the warmest parts are represented by the color orange Above 81 5 F 27 5 C Key Average annual temperature India 77 81 5 F 25 27 5 C 72 5 77 F 22 5 25 C 68 72 5 F 20 22 5 C Below 68 F 20 C
P ara g u a y Peru Chile Uruguay Bolivia Argentina French Guiana France Suriname Guyana Colombia Venezuela Iron Key Manganese Quartz crystal Petroleum Bauxite Coal Beryl Diamond Atlantic Ocean Brazil Footwear Textiles Leather Key Cement Petrol refining Power generating San Salvador Acajutla Nueva San Salvador Santa Ana Honduras Guatemala Pacific Ocean Usulután San Miguel San Vincente Zacatecoluca 7 Natural Resources Maps Natural resources maps provide information about the natural resources that can be found in a country These include minerals found in the ground and oil which may be found in the ground or beneath the sea Symbols are usually used to identify where natural resources are found Economic Maps Economic maps show the types of industries found in different parts of a country For example lumber might be the main industry in one part of a country while cattle might be more important in another part Symbols are usually used to identify the different types of economic activities This economic map shows the different industries of El Salvador This natural resources map shows the types of minerals that can be found in Brazil Find a natural resources map of your country and identify which natural resources are found closest to where you live try this
