Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Key Issue 1:

How Do Geographers Describe Where Things

Are?

Maps

Map - a two-dimensional or flat-scale model of Earths surface or a

portion of it
Geographys most important tool for thinking spatially
Scale model of the real world, made small enough to work on a desk or
computer
Cartography the science of making maps
Contemporary cartographers use computers and satellite imagery
A map serves two main purposes
o As a reference tool locating where something is, especially in
relationship to another place such as a town, river, landmark,
etc.
o As a communications tool depicting and analyzing the
distribution of human activities

Early Mapmaking

Earliest maps were reference tools

Eratosthenes (167-194 BC) created the earliest map of the known
world
Ptolemy (100-170 AD) created maps based on Roman Empire travelling
merchants and soldiers and they were unimproved upon for 1,000s of
years
Little European progress
o Less mathematical and more fanciful
o Ex. Earth is a flat disk surrounded by fierce animals
Geographic inquiry outside of Europe continued
o Pei Xiu (father of Chinese cartography) produced elaborate
Chinese map 260 AD
o Muhammad al-Idrisi (1100-1165) created world map 1154
Mapmaking as reference tool revived during Age of Exploration and
Discovery

o Explorers such as Columbus sailed across oceans in search of

trade routes and resources and needed accurate maps
o Cartographers also took information from their expeditions to
create more accurate maps
Martin Waldseemuller produced first American map
By the seventeenth century, maps accurately displayed outline of
Earth
Bernhardus Varenius produced Geographia Generalis, standard treatise
on systematic geography for more than a century

Contemporary Mapping

Still used as reference tools but more of a communications tool

Most essential tool to display and analyze geographic information

Map Scale

Small scale = less detail

Large scale = more detail
Map scale the relationship between the size of an object on a map
and the size of the actual feature on Earths surface
Presented in three ways
o Ratio or fraction scale: shows the numerical ratio between
distances on the map and Earths surface. Ex. 1:24,000 or
1/24,000 means one unit represents 24,000 of the same unit.
Left number always refers to map unit distance.
o Written scale: describes the relationship between map and Earth
distances in words. Ex. 1 inch equals 1 mile written on a map.
o Graphic scale: a bar line marked to show distance on Earths
surface

Projection

Earth is best represented with a globe to promote optimal accuracy,

however:
o Small globe: not enough space to display detailed information
o Large globe: bulky and difficult to write on, photocopy, display on
a computer and/or carry
Possible to do, but difficult and expensive
Flat models inevitably create distortions
Projection a system used to transfer locations from Earths surface to
a flat map
Types of distortions
o Shape, elongated or squat

Distance between two points increased or decreased

Relative size, one area looks larger or smaller than another
Direction from one point to another
of the worlds maps are equal area projections
Accurate relative size of landmasses
Minimizes shape distortions
Areas towards North and South poles more distorted, but theyre
sparsely uninhabited and therefore unimportant
Distortions
o Eastern and Western Hemisphere separated
o Meridians do not meet at the poles and do not form right angles
Robinson projection had accurate oceans, but landmasses appear
smaller
Mercator projection distorts towards the poles, but maintains shape
and direction
o
o
o
Most
o
o
o

Geographic Grid

System of imaginary arcs drawn in a grid pattern on Earths surface

Meridian arc drawn between the North and South poles
Longitude the numbering system used to locate each meridian
Prime meridian the meridian the passes through the Royal
Observatory at Greenwich, England (0 degree longitude)
o The meridian on the opposite side is the 180 degrees longitude)
0-180 degrees east and west