#1.
Political Map
Political Map is referred to maps that show boundaries of countries, state, county’s, small and
large towns and cities and they also include significant water bodies typically with blue colors.
An example of Political Map would show states and their borders along with the country
international border.
#2. Physical Map
Physical map is focused on the geography of the area and they generally show features like
mountains, rivers, and lakes. Typical colors are Blue for water features, Green for lower
elevation and Brown for high elevations. Features are rivers, mountains and lakes are usually
labelled.
#3. Topographic Map
A Topographic map shows height that you can measure, it is similar to a physical map that
shows different physical landscape features. This type of maps may use contour lines instead of
colors to show changes in the landscape. Contour lines shown on topographic maps are
generally spaced at regular intervals to show elevation changes.
Topographic maps are most commonly used in geology, geography, engineering, surveying,
science education and military operations. Maps adapted for navigation purposes include
detailed description of natural or man-made features that can be seen from a given vantage
point.
#4. Climate Map
A climate map is a depiction of the climate of an area. These maps are used to show climatic
zones of a specific area based on the temperature. These maps normally use colors to show
different climatic areas. Map Legend helps to identify each climatic zone based on colors.
More specifically, a climate map is a set of charts that shows how variables such as temperature
and precipitation change over time. These maps are typically depicted using a color scale from
blue for cold to dark brown for hot.
#5. Road Map
A roadmap is currently one of the most widely used map types. These maps show major and
minor highways and roads as well as other transport features like airports and ports. They can
also show city locations and points of interest such as parks, hotels, grounds, open area and
monuments.
You can use them for travelling, tourism, or navigation purposes. They usually depict roads and
landmarks to help you understand the terrain and find your way around.
Generally, Red color is used to show Major highways on a roadmap and are often larger than
other roads, while lighter color and narrower line are used for minor roads.
#6. Thematic Map
A thematic map is a map that focuses on a particular(single) theme or special purposes such as
population density or average annual income of a particular area. They can portray natural
features like rivers, cities, and highways in the background.
It is similar to a spreadsheet in that it shows the logical structure of your main points, but it uses
visual symbols and images to represent each point. Thematic maps are popular for their easy-
to-understand structure and the ability to visually create concepts.
#7. Cadastral Map
Cadastral maps are mainly used to record areas of land belonging to one country, state or
municipality. They are also known to be the most comprehensive maps of the world. The term
“Cadastre” originally meant “division”, referring to the division of land into ownership for taxation
purposes.
Cadastral maps provide information on land ownership, boundaries, property values, mineral
rights, and other assets. These maps are generally useful to taxation agencies, land surveyors,
and land co-operatives.
#8. Navigational Chart Map
Navigational charts, also known as navigation charts and nautical charts, are maps designed for
use by sailors and other watercraft users.
Navigational charts shows the shoreline or seafloor of a body of water. They show information
such as depth contours, depths at points along a route on the chart, tidal elevations (height of
the water on parts of the shoreline), tidal streamlines (lines indicating direction and speed),
prominent landmarks, navigational aids such as waypoints and beacons, obstructions such as
shoals or reefs and routes of safe passage.
#9. Time Zone Maps
Time Zone Maps are a great way to see what time it is where you are travelling. They allow a
traveler to easily compare the current time in various cities and countries around the world.
Every country has their own time zone map. This is different from country time zones like United
States, which vary by state. The countries in the same time zone share the same clock time.
Time zone maps are created by taking into account standard time zones, Daylight Saving Time,
and the International Date Line. A 24-hour clock with 12-hour increments can be used as a time
zone map on its own.
#10. Geologic Map
Geologic maps are maps that show the distribution of rocks, soil, and sediment on Earth. The
map also shows the distribution of rock types. They are used in many fields including geology,
engineering, mineral exploration, oil & gas exploration, archaeology, and mapping. They also
provide a lot of information on the geology and history of a particular area.
#11. Bathymetric Maps
Bathymetric maps are made by gathering data from ship’s sonar. The data is then transformed
into a digital map to show the depths of the sea floor or other underwater features. Bathymetric
maps are used to explore the depths and topography of the ocean floor and support scientific
research into marine ecosystems.
Maps like these can be used to identify underwater objects, such as shipwrecks and oil
platforms.
