3. Types of maps

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Although maps can be very different from each other depending on what they represent, they are either general or thematic.

3.1. General maps

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General maps are created from the topographic maps that are the basic representations of a space, and they are mostly used to locate a range of variables (latitude, longitude, altitude above sea level, the courses of rivers and streams as well as their names, lakes, towns and cities, names of seas, capes, gulfs, mountain ranges and mountain peaks, etc.) It is a basic kind of cartography that is essential for all other types.

On these maps, altitude is expressed by contours, which are closed curves and lines that connect points at the same altitude. On the Spanish map (1:50000), curves are positioned at 20-metre intervals (altitude separation) and the fifth curve (every 100 metres) is a master contour. On the other map (1:25000), curves are spaced at 10-metre intervals and master contours are found every 50 metres.

When the contours are very close together, the slopes of the terrain are very steep. The altitude increases or decreases rapidly within a small space. When the contours are far apart, they indicate that slopes are almost non-existent or that the terrain is flat.

3.2. Thematic maps

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These maps are used to show information such as population density, the predominance of a particular economic activity, income level, precipitation or average temperatures and spoken languages.

CITY PLANS

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City plans are representations of very small spaces.

The scales of these maps can vary a great deal. Some show large cities that occupy huge spaces at a scale of 1:50 000 or even greater. Others show smaller locations such as villages and can have a scale of 1:1 000 or even smaller.

Large city plans show the location of the city (next to a river or sea, beside a mountain), the boroughs that form the city, transport infrastructure (roads, railways and airports) as well as large spaces (parks, sports grounds and industrial parks).

Plans of villages show many more details. They not only show the layouts of streets and the location of squares, but also the actual shapes of houses, and the most important buildings (churches, schools, town halls, castles), as well as the location of services.

  

 

In addition to maps, it is also possible to create thematic plans, especially of cities. These may describe the locations of particular types of services. One of the most common types are tourist maps and plans which show the most useful tourist locations (monuments, museums, hotels, restaurants and cafes). Transport plans are also very useful (showing a bus, underground or train network).