4 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 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
5 World Maps World maps are drawings of the whole world They show people how the world is divided into continents and countries What Do World Maps Show World maps show people the world’s many features Some of these features are natural Others are determined by humans These features may include major cities elevation and depth large bodies of water distances between countries cities and other places national borders When Do People Use World Maps People can use world maps to help them locate continents countries and oceans They also use a world map if they are planning a holiday abroad and they want to choose a country to visit or find out how far away a country is It is helpful to know where different places are in the world so that people can understand how an event in one country can affect another country including their own Look at a map of the world Which country has the most shared borders Answer China and the Russian Federation both share borders with 14 countries Don’t forget there is a part of the Russian Federation located between Poland and Lithuania try this
Equator Mild Continental Tropical Dry Polar Mountains Key Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn 6 Types of World Maps There are many types of world maps Some world maps show people where all the continents countries oceans major seas and large deserts are Other world maps show people national borders Some world maps focus on elevation or the types of industries in different parts of the world Other world maps focus on climate Climate Maps Climate maps provide information about rainfall temperature and other weather-related features in different parts of the world They often use color to highlight climate differences This climate map divides the world into six climatic types each represented by a different color The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn The Tropic of Cancer is an imaginary line that marks the most northerly point at which the sun can be seen directly overhead Similarly the Tropic of Capricorn marks the most southerly point at which the sun can be seen directly overhead
Copper Iron ore Nickel Tin Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Sn Sn Sn Sn Sn Sn Sn Sn Fe Fe Fe Fe Fe Fe Fe Fe Cu Cu Cu Cu Cu Cu Key Low income Lower middle income Key Upper middle income High income 7 Natural Resources Maps Natural resources maps provide information about the natural resources that can be found in different parts of the world These natural resources 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 provide information about the types of industries in each country the amount of money people earn or some other feature of a country’s economy Symbols or colors are usually used to identify differences in industries or money earned This economic map sorts the world according to the amount of money people earn or their income People living in areas colored green have the lowest income while those living in areas colored purple have the highest income This natural resources map shows the types of minerals that can be found in some countries around the world The minerals are represented by their chemical symbols The guide to these symbols can be found in the box on the left of the map Transporting natural resources costs a lot of money so countries try to buy natural resources from areas closest to them Find a natural resources map of the world and look for your country’s nearest oil coal and gas supplies If they are within your country find the locations closest to you try this
