Classifying Maps

With easy-to-read text and full-color photos, this book discusses a variety of the types of maps available today. Readers will first come to understand the difference between reference maps, thematic maps, and navigational charts. Yet there is so much more! The book also familiarizes readers with the difference between relief maps and topographical maps, as well as political maps and population maps. Readers will learn about economic maps, resource maps, and environmental maps, too. The purpose and characteristics of each kind of map is also discussed. Colorful maps and diagrams highlight the text, visually demonstrating these concepts. Informative sidebars, bold glossary terms, and an index enhance the engaging text and graphics. This series discusses the basic branches of cartography, from surveying and mapmaking to satellite imaging and GPS and GIS technologies, as well as the history of mapmaking. Readers will also become familiar with where map data comes from, the variety of maps available today, the purposes they serve, and the people who make them. In addition, they will learn techniques for reading and creating their own maps.