ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF MAPS
INTRODUCTION• maps provides lots of information but
one must know to read and understand. Certain maps are provided with tools or aids to understand the are called essential features of map
Title GridScale
Legend Direction
TITLE
DIRECTION • N E W S
(CARDINAL POINTS)• LETTER N
DENOTES north line as the arrow pointes towards the geographical north
N E W S (CARDINAL POINTS)
INTERMEDIATE DIRECTIONS
SCALE• It is not possible to show all the places on the map in their actual proportion,
therefore the places are reduced in size. This reduction is based on SCALE.
• It’s a RATIO BETWEEN DISTANCE ON MAP AND DISTANCE ON A GROUND
Legend • On map its very difficult to show all the features such as settlements , bridges
post office railway lines. They are depicted using CONVENTIONAL SIGNS AND SYMBOLS
GRID • Horizontal and vertical lines drawn on
map , which criss-cross each other forms a network or grid.
• These lines are measured in Degrees
parallel of latitudes
meridians of longitude
Parallel of latitudes • A set of an imaginary lines drawn
horizontally between the poles and parallel to each other.
• Runs in E-W direction
• Exactly midway two poles is known as equator
Meridians of longitude • A set of an imaginary lines drawn
vertically.
• Runs in N-S direction