Geographical map of the world. Types of cards

Everyone encountered geographic maps at school. However, not all of us have an idea of their purpose and know how to use them. Modern youth believes that they do not need this knowledge, since navigators are now widely used.

What is a geographical map of the world?

The map is a reduced image of the Earth's surface, which is built according to certain laws. Visibility and visibility are its most important properties.

The main components of any card are:

• Cartographic projection - the mathematical law of image construction;
• The image itself;
• Auxiliary elements - legend, reference information;
• Additional elements - frames, profiling of terrain, graphics, diagrams, photographs, tabular data, etc.

Types of geographical maps

Geographic maps of the present - the compilation of knowledge about the planet, which were the results of research of ancient scientists and transmitted over many centuries. Without knowledge of the simplest laws, cartographers could not so accurately reflect the information on the maps. The modern geographic map of the world can be classified according to two criteria:

• Scale - large, medium and small-scale;
• Theme or content of the map - general geographic, political, navigational, economic, scientific and reference, etc.

The subject of the map can be of absolutely any type. For example, the geographical map of the countries of the world contains information about all states, shows their location. Topographic maps are intended for engineering and technical research.

Areas of use

The geographical map of the world has found application in all spheres of knowledge. Thanks to the maps people can get acquainted with the terrain in the absence of direct contact with it. Therefore, they are used in tourist guides, used in astronautics, navigation, geological exploration of natural resources, agriculture, construction, education, military affairs and many other areas.

The geographical map of the world is one of the most important inventions of mankind. Maps are used in almost all areas of knowledge. People in certain professions usually know what type of geographic maps they need to work. Modern means of navigation are gradually replacing maps. However, no one is immune from the failure of equipment, so the ability to understand the cards is necessary.