They can be distinguished between :
• large scale maps where the ratio is small (for example 1 : 5000) represent a small portion of land hence they can show a lot of details:
.
• Small scale maps where the ratio is large (for example1 : 5 000 000) represent wide portions of land and hence they are less detailed.
Maps classification according to their content
According to their content, the maps can be classified in general maps (for example physical and political maps) , special maps made for special purposes (for example nautical or geological maps) and thematic maps that describe the distribution of special data found on the land.
Types of maps
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General maps
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Physical maps
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Represent land ,
rivers, mountains etc.
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Political maps
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represent political
borders, towns, roads etc.
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Phisycal-political maps
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Represent both elements
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Special
maps
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Hydrographic
maps (including marine charts)
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Show springs, rivers, oceans, coasts
etc.
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Nautical charts
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For maritime navigation
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Aeronautical charts
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For air navigation
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Touristic maps
Road maps
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Show places of natural,
cultural or artistic interest and roads.
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Geological maps
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Through colours and symbols they show
different kind of rocks and their age, mines etc.
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Thematic maps
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Geomorphological maps
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Represent nature
and the form of the ground
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Climate maps
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Show the
different climate zones (they include weather maps)
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Vegetation maps
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Outline different vegetation
formations and most common species
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Zoological maps
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Indicate animal population and their movements
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Pedological
maps
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Represent different kind of
soil
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Antropological and ethnological maps
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Show the distribution of
people, their languages & religions
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Economic or resource maps
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Show distribution and characteristic of economic
factors (raw materials, agriculture,productions etc.)
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Historical maps
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show the political assets in the different periods of the past
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Demographic maps
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Show the
distribution and variation of population
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GENERAL MAPS
Political Map: A political map shows the state and national boundaries of a place. It also includes the locations of cities - both large and small, depending on the scale of the map.
SOME SPECIAL AND THEMATIC MAPS
Thematic Map: Thematic maps are maps that focus on a particular theme or special topic connected with a specific geographical area and they are different from general reference maps because they do not just show natural features or political subdivisions, but can portray social, cultural, economic, sociological, agricultural, or any other aspects of a city, state, region, or continent. An example of a thematic map would one showing the population density of Switzerland.
• Climate Map: climate maps show information about the climate of an area. They can show things like the specific climatic zones of an area based on the temperature, the amount of snow an area receives or average number of cloudy days. These maps normally use colours to show different climatic areas.
• Economic or Resource Map: An economic or resource map shows the specific type of economic activity or natural resources present in an area through the use of different symbols or colours depending on what is being shown on the map. For example an economic activity map for Brazil .
• Road Map: Road maps are one of the most widely used map types. These maps show major and minor highways and roads (depending on detail) as well as things like airports, city locations and points of interest like parks, campgrounds etc. Major highways on road maps are generally red and larger than other roads, while minor roads are lighter and narrower.
