ATLAS EXERCISE (web version)

GEOG 201-501, Fall 2006, Dr. Prout

DUE: Friday, September 22nd.

Worth 50points (or 5% of grade)

map lecture outline 


ATLAS & MAP EXERCISE:
The atlas / map exercise is designed to (1) familiarize students with an academic atlas, (2) introduce non-geographers to map and cartographic terms, and (3) learn some fundamental map skills.

Use the Atlas of World Geography, 2005 edition (Rand McNally) ISBN 0-528-17790-0.

Answer with the most correct possible response; Record onto a large gray scantron.

Suggestion: highlight, copy, and paste into a word processing software file.


1. Identify the incorrect statement.
[A] Cartography is usually thought of as map making.
[B] Graphical representation of reality is one definition of a map.
[C] Longitude and Latitude give a map reader the translation for the map symbols.
[D] The three components to map reading are spatial, symbolic, and textual.
 
 
Matching: match the following map types with a corresponding word/phrase:
 
2. General-purpose map
3. Topographic map
4. Choropleth map
5. Isopleth map
 
[A] AAA road map
[B] census results
[C] lines of equal value
[D] USGS
 


Turn to pages 52-53 and 54-55 of the atlas;
            despite their titles, both are "general purpose" maps.
 
6. What two physical features in the southeastern United States are labeled on the "political map" on pages 52-53?
[A] Appalachian Mountains; Mississippi River
[B] Mississippi River; Red River
[C] Sierra Nevada Mountains; Houston
[D] Red River; Appalachian Mountains
 
7. What two kinds of cultural-political information is on the "physical map" (pp 54-55)?
[A] cities and mountains
[B] oceans and cities
[C] cities and countries
[D] mountains and rivers
 
In the index pages (pp. 163-176), look up the Colorado River that flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
 
8. What page number does it refer you to in the Atlas?
            [A] 76                                      [B] 86
            [C] 95                                      [D] 106
 
Turn to that page.
 
9. Sierra Madre Oriental is the major mountain chain along the eastern side of Mexico; the labeling of Sierra Madre Oriental on the map appears in which border state?
[A] Coahuila
[B] Durango
[C] Louisiana
[D] Tamaulipas
 
10. Houston as the 4th largest U.S. city rates an "Inset Map" (lower right corner)
What is the scale difference between the main and inset maps? The inset is .....
[A] 2 times larger
[B] 4 times larger
[C] 6 times larger
[D] the exact same scale
 
11. What is the Mexican name of the river that serves as an international boundary?
[A] Rio Grande River
[B] Rio Nueces
[C] Pecos River del Nuevo Mexico
[D] Rio Bravo del Norte
 


The standard "General Purpose" maps in this atlas look like pages 138-139.
 
Match these places to the cardinal directions (which is located furthest .....); consult index.
12. North                                            [A] Delhi
13. South                                            [B] Kabul
14. East                                              [C] Karachi
15. West                                             [D] Tashkent
                                                            [E] Tehran
 
 
 
Pages 116-117 are also “G.P.” maps; use this map as well as other sources in atlas.
 
16. When our class starts at 3:00 PM, what time is it in Switzerland? (time zones p. 64)
            [A] 8:00 AM                [B] 8:00 PM                [C] 10:00 AM             [D] 10:00 PM
 
17. What is the capital of Switzerland?
            [A] Zurich                    [B] Geneva                 [C] Bern                      [D] St. Moritz
 
18. What are Bern's geographical coordinates? (Latitude and Longitude)
            [A] 47º N; 7º E                                    [B] 47º S; 7º E
            [C] 47º N; 7º W                                  [D] 47º S; 7º W
 
19. What is the population for Bern?
            [A] 132,135                [B] 134,645                [C] 136,338                [D] 138,362
 
Academic atlases have other forms of data; turn to page 24.
 
20. What is the projected World Population for the year 2010?
            [A] 6,080,000,000                 [B] 6,824,000,000                 [C] 7,518,000,000
 
21. On page 14, they calculated the population density for world regions; what is it for North America in 1995? (use the metric units)
            [A] 20 people/km2                                       [B] 27 people/km2
                [C] 41 people/km2                                      [D] 51 people/km2
 
Population density for the U.S. and Canada is mapped (isopleth) on page 79;
            answer 22-24 from this page.
 
22. In general, is the eastern or western half of the continent more densely populated?
            [A] East                                  [B] West                                 [C] equal
 
23. Which country has more area (territory) considered completely uninhabited?
            [A] United States                   [B] Canada                            [C] equal
 
24. Which country is more urbanized as a percentage of population?
            [A] United States                   [B] Canada                            [C] equal
 
25. The eight maps on page 80 are choropleth maps. What geographical level of data is being shown on all of them?
            [A] City                        [B] County                  [C] State                     [D] Global
 
26. Which of the following maps is not using a graduated circle mapping technique?
            [A] White                                            [B] Non-English speaking households       
            [C] Hispanic                                       [D] African American
 
27. Find the average annual precipitation for College Station on page 78:
Assume College Station is located directly under the closest "isoline," what is the average annual precipitation in centimeters here?
            [A] 85                          [B] 100                        [C] 120                       [D] 150
 
28. Using the language map on page 125; what are the two "Ethno-linguistic" Groups in South Africa?
[A] Bantu and Semitic-Hamitic
[B] Bantu and Indo-European
[C] Malay-Polynesian and Semitic-Hamitic
[D] Central/Eastern Sudanese and Indo-European
 
29. Look up “Kurdistan” in the country and flags (pp 39-50) and in the place-name index (pp. 163-176).
[A] its only in the country
[B] its only in the place
[C] its in both
[D] its in neither
 
30. Look carefully on page 113; It appears that "Kurdistan" is in (part of) three countries.
Which of the following is not one of the three?
            [A] Armenia                [B] Iran                        [C] Iraq                        [D] Turkey
 
31. Look up “Greenland” in the country and flags (pp 39-50) and in the place-name index (pp. 163-176).
[A] its only in the country
[B] its only in the place
[C] its in both
[D] its in neither
 
32. According to page 70, Greenland is a dependency of what country?
            [A] Iceland                  [B] Norway                 [C] Denmark              [D] British Isles
 
 
 
World Wide Web
 
Go to the Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection
      http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/
 
Navigate the sequence of links:
 
Find the “Mexico” map section
Use the most recent political map
33. Which of the following Mexican States does not have a common border with Texas?
            [A] Chihuahua                                               [B] Coahuila
            [C] Sonora                                                     [D] Tamaulipas
 
Go back to the main page and find the [Afghanistan Maps]
Scroll down to [Thematic Maps]
Click on [Ethnolinguistic Groups ‘97]
34. The language spoken in Kabul (use the star for location) is _____.
            [A] Baloch                                                      [B] Pashtun
            [C] Tajik                                                         [D] Uzbek
 
Go back to the main page and find the [Lebanon Maps]
Scroll down to [Thematic Maps]
Click on [Religious Groups ‘83]
35. The religious group along the Israeli border is _____.
            [A] Maronite                                                   [B] Greek Orthodox/Catholic
            [C] Shia Muslim                                             [D] Druze
.
Go back and click on the Beirut map
36. Find the American Embassy, which general direction do the Marines sail as they approach the Beirut seashore?
            [A] North                                                         [B] East
            [C] South                                                        [D] West
 
 
Using a web search engine, type in “bollywood” (not Hollywood), and then try “bollywood” and “planet” and find the website http://www.planetbollywood.com
 
37. This website is constantly changing; it contains a weekly ____________.
            [A] top ten songs (music)                            [B] top ten films (video/dvd)
            [C] both song and film top tens                  [D] none of the above
 
38. What country is Bollywood associated with?
            [A] Britain                                                      [B] China       
            [C] India                                                        [D] Vietnam
            [E] none of the above
 
 

The following Questions are meant to be an example of how an atlas can be used to provide context to world affairs:
 
39. Which of the following countries does not border Afghanistan?
[A] China
[B] Iran
[C] Kazakhstan
[D] Pakistan
 
40. Which of the following mountain ranges is inside Afghanistan?
[A] Asiatic Alps
[B] Hindu Kush
[C] Karakoram
[D] Plateau of Persia
 
41. What large city would we associate (relative location) with “Mesopotamia?”
[A] Cairo
[B] Baghdad
[C] Kuwait
[D] Damascus
[E] Mecca
 
42. Look up “Babylon” in the Index:
As a historic entity, what State (country) is it located in now?
[A] Iran
[B] Iraq
[C] Saudi
[D] New Jersey
[E] doesn’t say
 
43. How far is Baghdad from Tel Aviv?
[A] 400 miles
[B] 550 miles
[C] 700 miles
[D] 500 km
[E] 1200 km
 
44. What page of the Atlas would provide the largest scale (best detail) of Israel?
            [A] 121            [B] 129            [C] 139           [D] 142           [E] 145
 
45. What is the scale of the map in question #44?
            [A] 1:4,000,000                    
            [B] 1:10,000,000
            [C] 1:12,000,000                  
            [D] 1:16,000,000
 
 
 
Use the following Cartesian coordinates (LL) to answer the remaining questions:
 
[A]       1º 18' N, 103º 52' E
[B]       43º 06' N, 131º 47' E
[C]       29º 41' N, 91º 12' E
[D]       18º 08' S, 178º 25' E 
[E]       21º 18' N, 157º 50' W
 
 
46. Which of the places according to the coordinates is closest to the Equator?
 
47. Which of the places according to the coordinates is closest to the Prime Meridian?
 
48. Which of the places according to the coordinates is closest to the International Date Line?
 
 
The five sets of coordinates belong to the following places:
Honolulu
Lhasa
Singapore
Suva
Vladivostok
 
49. Which of these places (using its Longitude & Latitude) does not have a Pacific port?
 
50. Which of these places (using its Longitude & Latitude) is a U.S. state capital?





Map Lecture (Sept. 7, 2001)

What are maps?

--- What is an Atlas?

--- Who are Cartographers?


DEFINITION OF MAP: Maps are Graphical Representations of Reality


MAP TYPES

General Purpose:

    physical

    political

Thematic Maps:

    Isopleth

    Choropleth

USGS topographic maps:


CARTOGRAPHY

Map making; {cartographers as map makers & critics}

art and science of mapping;

nature of maps as communicative devices.


MAP READING: Competency is enhanced with understanding of cartographic principals;

(a) textual, (b) symbolic, and (c) spatial components to maps.


MAP PROJECTIONS

Fundamental Distortion to all maps!

3D sphere --> 2D flat sheet

Basic types of projecting images

cylindrical

conical

planar (azimuthal)


MAP ESSENTIALS

1. Title best indication of map’s content

2. Scale map distance / Earth distance; verbal, bar, & ratio

3. Legend translation of the symbols

4. Date year made and year of data

5. Grid indexing map 

6. Direction North arrow 

    Latitude & Longitude combine #5 and #6.


Coordinate Systems:

Polar coordinates – every place/location is a direction and distance from a single reference point.

Cartesian coordinates – divides the surface into a grid, each grid line intersection is at a 90º angle.

Latitude and Longitude are a type of Cartesian coordinate!


LATITUDE and LONGITUDE

LL crucial to the concept of “location”

(Where is it? Where are we? It’s located there.)

Relationship to other locations.


LATITUDE:

East-West running lines

“Parallel” to each other (they never cross or converge)

measure North & South from the Equator

<angle from center>

range of possible Latitudes

0º--90º North and 0º--90º South


LONGITUDE:

North-South running lines

all “Meridians” converge at both poles

measure East & West from a reference line

Prime Meridian is ref. line

measurement is based on 360º in a circle

range of possible Longitudes

0º–180º East and 0º–180º West