Mapping Terminology
A
B
C
D
F
G
I
L
M
O
P
T
- Area reference - A four-digit reference, using easting and northing grid lines, to locate an area on a topographic map.
- Aspect - The direction a slope faces.
- Average or mean - Is the result of adding up all numbers in a set then dividing the total by the amount of numbers.
B
- Bearing - A compass point measured in degrees from 0 to 360.
- BOLTSS - Acronym to assist with including all required elements on maps: B: border, O: orientation, L: legend or key, T: titles, S: scale, S: source.
C
- Cadastral map - A map showing property boundaries.
- Cartographic - Relating to the science or practice of drawing maps.
- Cartogram - A map in which the size of countries is adjusted to illustrate the distribution of a feature or statistic eg population size, hunger, poverty.
- Choropleth map - A thematic map that uses shading of a colour to provide quantitative information about different areas or regions e.g. map of population density or the percentage of households with an internet connection by local government area.
- Clinometer - An instrument for measuring inclination or slope.
- Contour interval - The contour interval is the vertical intervals between contours, usually in metres.
- Contour line - Contour line is an imaginary line on the ground that joins all places of the same height above sea level (altitude).
- Contour map - A topographic map that shows the features of the land with contour lines on a flat surface.
D
- Data breaks - Grouping the data for the purpose of mapping or graphing.
F
- Features - The tangible elements of a place or environment.
- Flowline map - Map showing the flows of people, goods, information or ideas between places.
G
- Gentle - Refers to a gradual slope.
- Gradient - The steepness of a slope.
- Grid reference - A six-digit reference, using easting and northing grid lines, to locate the exact location of a place or feature on a topographic map.
I
- Isoline map - A map which has lines joining places having the same value of any selected element eg rainfall.
L
- Large-scale map - A map which focuses on a small area of the Earth’s surface with a large amount of detail, e.g. satellite images, road maps, street map .
- Latitude - Distance from the equator measured in degrees north or south.
- Legend - The key to symbols used on a map or graph. Symbols and their descriptions are provided to assist the viewer to interpret the map or graph.
- Local relief - The difference in altitude between the highest and lowest points in a small geographical area.
- Longitude - Degrees east or west of Greenwich.
M
- Mapping/ Cartographic conventions - Accepted practices associated with constructing and interpreting maps . Represented by the acronym BOLTSS (See BOLTSS)
- Map references - The use of letters and numbers to locate a place on a map which has grid squares.
- Mud map - A mud map was originally a map drawn in the mud by travellers in the past to outline directions from one location to another. The term is now generally used for maps, usually hand drawn on paper, used to indicate directions from one place to another.
O
- Orientation - The position of a specific place or object in relation to true north, as indicated on a map.
P
- Pictorial map - A map using illustrations to represent information on a map.
- Political map - A map showing territorial boundaries between or within countries e.g. states and territories.
- Précis map - A simple sketch map, drawn from a topographic map or photograph, showing the key patterns and features of an area by omitting minor details.
- Range of values - The difference between the greatest data value and the least data value of a set.
- Relative location - Location relative to other places e.g. the distance of a town from other towns.
- Relief - The shape of the land’s surface.
- Relief map - A three-dimensional map showing the shape of the land and distinctive landforms (terrain) or a two-dimensional map representing 3D terrain.
- Scale - An indication of the ratio of a distance on a map to the corresponding distance on the ground. On a map, it may be represented as a ratio or fraction, as a word statement or as a linear scale.
- Sketch map - A labelled drawing outlining the main geographical features of a place.
- Small-scale map - A map showing a large area of the Earth's surface with little detail e.g. world map where one centimetre on the map scale represents a large distance on the land.
- Spot height - The elevation of a certain point.
- Synoptic chart - A map showing atmospheric conditions at the Earth's surface at a point in time e.g. air pressure, winds, precipitation. Also known as a weather map
T
- Thematic map - A map portraying a specific type of information e.g. rainfall, transport routes, climatic zones or population distribution.
- Topographic map - A detailed, large-scale map of part of the Earth's surface which illustrates the shape of the land and selected natural and human features from the surrounding environment.
- Topography - The shape of the surface of the land. Landforms include mountains, valleys, plateaus, cliffs and plains. Also known as landforms. The physical features and relief (differences in elevation) of the land.