Thematic Map

This is a thematic map of the USA and the theme division is of people who are American Indian and Alaska Native alone in 2000. The map explains where this cultural group of people were situated in the United States, and conveys an overall image of where these people were displaced during that period of time. One pattern of the map, is that there were many more Indian & Alaskan Natives on the West Coast than the East Coast. Particularly California and Arizona have a large amount, mainly due to the reservations that the US Government placed these people on, when we kicked them off their land.

Photo taken from:http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ThematicMapFramesetServlet?_bm=y&-PANEL_ID=tm_result&-ds_label=Census&-ds_label=2000&-ds_label=Summary&-ds_label=File&-ds_label=1&-ds_label=%20SF&-ds_label=1%20&-ds_label=100-Percent&-ds_label=Data&-tm_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_M00531&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-tm_config=|b=50|l=en|t=4001|zf=0.0|ms=thm_def|dw=1.9557697048764706E7|dh=1.4455689123E7|dt=gov.census.aff.domain.map.LSRMapExtent|if=gif|cx=-1159354.4733499996|cy=7122022.5|zl=10|pz=10|bo=|bl=|ft=350:349:335:389:388:332:331|fl=403:381:204:380:369:379:368|g=01000US|ds=DEC_2000_SF1_U|sb=50|tud=false|db=040|mn=1713|mx=333346|cc=1|cm=1|cn=5|cb=|um=Persons|pr=0|th=DEC_2000_SF1_U_M00531|sf=N|sg=&-CONTEXT=tm&-redoLog=false&-errMsg=&-_lang=en

Topographic Map

This topographic map is of the state of North Carolina, USA. The highest range of elevation is on the left portion of the map, which is the west coast of North Carolina. As you follow the mountain range eastward, it slowly calms down to flatter grounds, especially at the coastline. This specific mountain range in North Carolina is called the Appalachian Mountains, and it runs from Maine to Georgia. What many people don't know about this region, is that there is a trail called the AT (Appalachian Trail) which runs through the course of the mountain chain (Maine to Georgia). There are quite a few persistent people who have actually completed the hike in its entirety, which usually takes about 6 months.

Photo taken from: http://www.geomart.com/images/raisedrelief/nc.jpg

Planimetric Map

A planimetric map: indicating only the horizontal positions of features, without regard to elevation, in contrast with a topographic map, which indicates both horizontal and vertical positions. Also known as line map.

This is a planimetric map of China. The website says it is 1/25,000 of actual China and the map shows a walled Chinese city and an irrigation system in 1932. Planimetric maps are good for some people when first entering a new place, to get their bearings. But for me, planimetric maps can often be more confusing because their simplicity often leads to their unrealistic portrayal of an area. But what is helpful about this map though, is that is displays an area which is densely concentrated in buildings, through the use of grey scale shading. That at least can help a newcomer know the general vicinity of the populated city area.

Definition taken from: http://www.answers.com/topic/planimetric-map

Photo taken from: http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/guide/gmillgen.html

Mental Map

This map conveys the typical college student mental map of the world. I think it points out an interesting insight into the mind of a college student. One is that there is very little attention paid to detail and boundaries within countries. This is interesting because this map clearly comes from an english speaking student, perhaps even an american one.  Yet I'd like to contrast this mental map with a foreign nation, Spain. Unlike Americans (who are quite patriotic) Spaniards are intensely regionalistic. When I lived there for a year I became acquainted with this fact. And because of that segregation they have ingrained in their culture, I believe spanish college students would be able to distinguish regional boundaries better than this map above.

Photo taken from: http://mistert-mistert.blogspot.com/2008/04/mental-map-of-world.html