Map Projections & Climate

Why do maps look like that?

What are different types of maps?

Different maps are called projections

• Projections are not perfect

• All maps are distorted

What are the main ways to show a map?

Mercator • Good for ocean travel

• Distorts land size

Peterson Projection

• Correct areas and direction

Interrupted Projection

• Correct shape and landmasses

Robinson • Accurate shapes and sizes

What are different types of map symbols?

Compass Rose

• Shows direction

Legend or Key

• Shows meaning of symbols

Scale • Shows distance

Compass Rose

Legend or Key

Scale

Types of Climates

What are different types of climates?

Tropical Wet

• Always hot (80°F) and more than 80 inches of rain

Tropical Wet and Dry

• Rainy summer, dry winter

What is climate?

• Average weather patterns over a long period of time

Semiarid • About 16 inches a year of rain

• Hot summers, mild winters

Desert • Less than 10 inches of rain a year

Mediterranean • Summers are hot and dry

• Winters cool and rainy

• Dense pop. and rich agriculture

Marine West Coast

• Close to the ocean, cloudy, foggy, damp

Humid Subtropical

• Summer heat and humidity

• Prone to hurricanes

Humid Continental

• Mid-latitude interiors of continents

Subarctic • Evergreen forests• Huge temperature

variation between summer and winter

Tundra • Flat, tree-less lands• Soil is constantly

frozen• Temps can reach 40°F

Ice Cap • Snow, ice, permanently frozen

Highlands • Varies due to latitude and continental location

Postcards: Assignment

Create 2 postcards describing a country – do not identify the country on the postcard!

Write at least 5 sentences. Color if there’s time. Describe the climate and include at least 3

elements from the 5 themes of geography.