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saraogiavyan
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RP Goenka International School

HUMANITIES (History /Geography)

Unit: How can maps provide us with a sense of time, place and space?

Maps provide insights into time, place and space and show how the world has
changed over time, but they can be affected by different perspectives.

What are maps?


Maps are visual representations of specific areas; they come in many different forms, shapes
and sizes. They are used to communicate information about the location and look of the
different things within that specific area. Maps can be very useful to help to gain a sense of
direction and size and to understand the different features that might be in that particular area.
They can also be used to communicate a specific feature of a location such as population size or
the amount of natural resources available.
The study of maps and the work involved in creating them is known as cartography, and
people who make maps are called cartographers. In this chapter we will explore examples of
different maps and how to use them as well as how maps can be affected by specific
perspectives.

How do we use maps?


Maps have a range of features that help us to understand how they work and how to
use them. The following features are common to most maps.

DIRECTION
Direction or orientation is usually represented on a map by the use of a compass
rose. This shows the directions in real life on the map. The directional points on a
compass rose are called cardinal points and are north, south, east and west,
represented as N, S, E, W.

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Using a compass
When reading a map, a physical compass can be used to correlate the direction in the
map to real life. Compasses, as well as being equipped with cardinal points, are also
numbered from 0 to 360 degrees.
Some compasses show eight points including north-east (NE), south-east (SE), south-
west (SW) and north-west (NW). This allows you to be more accurate when describing
direction.
Compasses that are used with maps have a magnetic needle that points to magnetic
north. This means that when out hiking or orienteering in the countryside, you can use
a map and a compass to find the direction in which you need to travel.
Search How to use a baseplate compass for more information on using a
compass.

SCALE
Scale is very important when reading a map; it allows you to understand the size of a
particular area in real life. The scale tells you the level of reduction that the map
shows in comparison to real life. Scale is often represented in linear form. This type
of scale depicts the real-world distance along a line.

SYMBOLS
Maps contain symbols to represent different things. The symbols are placed together in
a key to show their different meanings. A wide variety of things are represented in this
way.

GRID REFERENCES
Grid references refer to a specific position on a map. They can be usually written as
either a four-figure grid reference or a six-figure grid reference.

How is height represented on a map?


Physical and topographic maps provide greater detail on the actual shape of the land
represented by showing information about different physical features in a landscape.
such as rivers, mountains and the coastline. The maps also show the relative height
above sea level of features.
One of the most common ways that height is represented on a map is through the use
of contour lines. These lines are used to indicate areas of land that have the same
height. Contour lines give us a clear indication of how steep or how flat land is in a
particular area; this variation in the height of the land is known as relief. For instance,
areas on a map with numerous contour lines close together are a clear indication of
steep slopes, whereas an area of a map with relatively few contour lines is likely to be
more flat.The distance between the contour lines is called the contour interval and

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this will be the same for the whole map.
As well as elevation, contour lines can be used to measure depth, and they can be
used on oceanic maps, which chart the depths of the seabed.

How can maps help us to understand


time, place and space?
Maps provide a range of insights into different locations and they can
deepen our understanding of time, place and space.

TIME
Historic maps can help us to see what locations would have looked like at different times
in the past. For instance, a map of London in the 1920s would look significantly different
from a contemporary map.
Maps can also be created of future planned developments; for example, a map of the new
62 city. Therefore, maps can also help us to visualize something before it exists.

PLACE
Maps give a detailed understanding of place by showing the different features of the
location.
These features can include the land use, buildings and natural features. • The use of
a key on a map provides a range of details about the place that can be quickly
understood; for instance, the number of restaurants in a town.

SPACE
Maps also provide an insight into space through the use of scale, direction and
elevation.

Scale allows the reader of the map to be able to interpret the map to understand the
actual distance on the ground.
Direction allows the reader of the map to understand the orientation of certain features
in a location or in which direction to travel to get from one place to another.
The elevation provides an insight into the land height as well as other physical features
such as the height above sea level, or the amount of flat land.

Bias
Bias is a term used to describe information that seems to take a particular side or
viewpoint. For instance, a newspaper may be biased towards a particular political
viewpoint and always portray issues through that opinion.
Maps are less likely to have bias but may be affected by a variety of factors during

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their creation; for example, the information available; the purpose of the map; any
political considerations. Maps sometimes have to show disputed borders between
nations; this is often a problem for cartographers. However, it is important to
remember that biased sources of information are still very useful and they can provide
an important insight into a particular viewpoint.

Can we always trust maps?


Despite their varied uses in everyday life, maps can be affected by a range of
perspectives. This means at times we need to consider their representation carefully.
An example of this can be found in the debate between the Mercator and Gall-Peters
world maps. Both versions are of the world stretched out in a two-dimensional (2D)
format. Given the fact that the Earth is a sphere (3D) not 2D, it means that there are
some inevitable inaccuracies. The Mercator, the more widely used approach, dates
back to the work of the Flemish cartographer Geradus Mercator in the late sixteenth
century. He sought to map the world, especially to help people to navigate the seas for
exploration and trade.
The Gall-Peters projection is attributed to both the early work of James Gall in the mid
nineteenth century and Arno Peters in the late 1960s. This map projection offered a
version of the world where the actual sizes of places in the world are directly
proportional to their sizes on the map. This made it more convincing to some people
given the inaccuracies of the Mercator projection, such as the distorted size of the polar
regions.
The Mercator versus Gall-Peters debate raises an important point about how maps can
present a particular perspective or world view. Maps can also be affected by political
issues or disputes; for example, disputed borders between two or more countries.
Disputes of this nature make it difficult to construct accurate political maps as the
borders can change over time. Maps can also be created to suit a nation’s interests so
may be less accurate in terms of the information that is presented.

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