Environments Chapter 4 The Pinnacle @Duxton You wil LEARN, The Pinnacle @ Duxton is the first S0-storey housing development project launched by the * thatewaps are graphical Housing Development Board (HDB). Here is Ir Ue ete e representations of the Earth a ea * that maps have varied uses | to promote the apartments. © howto use an atlas to locate specific places and features ia "WOUNG Phake gp 26 Chapter 4Through Maps What Are Maps? ‘Maps are pictures or graphical representations of all or a part of the Earth’s surface and its features, Maps are special pictures because they show only the plan or top view of the Earth's features — the sort of view that we see when we are looking down from an aeroplane. Maps - are drawn on flat surfaces and are smaller than the actual areas they ‘What are maps? represent Uses of Maps People have been using maps for a very long time. A few thousand years, ago, the Egyptians had maps that were based on travellers’ descriptions of the places they had seen, Maps were also used by the ancient Chinese to help them prepare their battle plans before they went to war. Today, maps are even more widely used. Fig 41. Anartis’s impression of ancient Chinese soldiers ig 42 Tada, maps ar still an rowing a battle pian on th ground important too Tor planning purposes.Maps as sources of information ‘Maps are valuable sources of information, Maps can provide the answers to questions such as: “Where are we?”, “How far is it between here and there?”, “What direction do we take (o get there?”, “What are the different ways to get there?” and “What will we find there: cities, roads, rivers or forests?” When we visit a foreign country, we can use maps to help us find our way to places of interest. Different types of maps store and display different types of information. Fig 42 A geological map shows the types frocks in an area LEGEND neous rocks = Setimenarysoes Metamorphic rocks Fig 44 A stoet map shows human Features sucha rads, railway nos and bulngs in an aa, 28 Chapter 4LEGEND Amount of sala centimetres Below 220 20-719 240-289 200-279 ra0-209 0-219 320 and above Fig 45. A rainfall map shows the ‘amour of rain rocaivad in an area, LeGeND Main road — Contours tin metres) Ang Sop Boneh mark; Spot height san MRT ine —— Track; Read bridge perenceneed Railway ee Church; Mose; gk Ch, temple: Hin. temole Fg 6 A topographical map makes uso of symbols to show the physical and human features ofan area in dota Maps as a tool used in planning Maps are used for planning and decision-making. For example, during, times of war, maps are invaluable to the army, who have to plan and decide which areas to attack, and the most effective route to take. People ‘who plan and develop cities also depend greatly on maps to decide ‘where to build houses, factories, roads and railways. Maps as records of changes ‘Maps are a good record of changes over time. Like photographs, maps show the features on the Earth's surface ata certain point in time. When ‘new maps of the same area are drawn every few years, the series of ‘maps taken together will provide us with a record of all the changes that have taken place, such as changes in the uses of land over time. Therefore, maps help us keep track of what has been happening to # ‘Wiitinf eaters the environment over the years. uses of maps? Environments Through Maps 29Fig 47 Thisextat ofa large stale topographical map of Singapore shows tho causeway inking Singapore and Johor, Malaysia, a well as many other features Title e+ The title states the area shew on ‘a map. It usually appears on the top of the map. Basic Elements on a Map Although there are many different types of maps, most maps have the same basic elements. Knowing what these elements mean on a map is the first step to learning how to read maps. 18 19 os ‘A Map Extract of Singapore wee at 7 wy Grid lines. Grid lines area soros af ‘numbered vertical and horizontal lines drawn on a map. Contours 2 Contours or contour lines, are imaginary lines joining places ton the map that are of the same height. Names of features e+ Certain features such as buildings, roads and reservoirs are named on maps to help us identify and locate them easly. North arrow -————— ‘A north arrow shows where north, south, east and west lien the mp. Scale aw Li (pra ct ° 1 2 KILOMETRES > SCALE The scale shows the siza of the map as compared to the LeGeno actual sizeof the area that the Tra onions ox Sear Main roae “Yack; Road bridge + tete enna 1 cm an this map represents Contours in metres) ges Sp Foitwoy O45 kr on the Earth's surface. Bench mark; Spot height eae Church; Mosque: The scale allows us to calculate the size or length of a feature Ch.temple;Hin. tempo # $B 30 Chapter 4 MRT ine oe ; (Oriystecd sta shown sexes ee + Legend Symbols e———— legend ists allthesybolsused Symbols are used on maps to inthe map and explains whateach represent the different physical symbol represents. The legend is 0 Human features found on the alsa called te ky. surface ofthe Earth,Scale It is impossible to draw a map the same size as the area it represents. ‘Therefore, maps are drawn to scale on paper. The seale of a map shows the relationship between a length on a map and the actual distance it represents on the Barth’s surface. Hence, itis possible for us to tell the distance of a road or length of a river by referring to the scale on a map. Small-scale and large-scale maps ‘The purpose of a map determines the amount of details in it, which in turn determines the scale of the map. A small-scale map shows a large area of the Earth’s surface with few details. An example is the world map, which shows the location of countries. A large-scale map shows a small area of the Earth’s surface with many details, such as buildings and roads, Street maps and topographical maps are examples of large-scale maps. a Whats the diference between a small-scale map and a large-scale map? Fig 48) Ths sma scale map extract of Singaporean Jobe, Malaysia, shows the road notworks. As compared to Fg 47 ew tetas are represented on this map, How a scale is shown on a map A seale on a map can be shown as a statement, or a line (or linear) scale. Jem represents 2 km ‘This means that 1 centimetre on the map represents 2 kilometres on the Barth's surface. Environments Through Maps 31a | 23 KILOMETRES ————————— Aline scale consists of a line that is divided into units and sub-units. Itis commonly used in maps decause it helps us measure distances on the map easily and quickly. For example, in Fig 4.9, the distance between the school and the hotel on the ruler is 5 centimetres. By placing the ruler on the linear scale above, we know that the actual distance between the school and the a ean hotel is 2.5 kilometres. shown on maps? Types of symbols ‘Symbols of different shapes, sizes and colours are used on a map to show the physical and human features of the Barth. The size or thickness of symbol shows the importance of that feature, An important feature is usually represented by a thick line or a larger symbol. Certain colours are also used to represent specific features. For example, blue is used for features associated with water such as rivers and lakes, while green is usually used for features associated with vegetation such as forests and crops. Itis important to refer to the legend when reading maps because symbols may vary from country to country. i949 The scale ane map allows uso measure the distance between features, which are represontod by symbols Nisin 6 7 8 SK 1 203 4 7 8 8 415 0 5 6 o mn 2 13 32 Chapter 4yan 4 2 Line (or linear) symbols Line (or linear) symbols represent linear features, such as roads, railway tracks, rivers and power lines. Road River r Power line Point symbols Point symbols represent features that occupy a small area, such as schools, churches, mosques and temples. "Building National monument Area symbols Area symbols represent features that occupy an extensive area, such as lakes and forests. Some of these symbols look like the features they represent. For example, trees are used to represent.a forest, while a small blue irregular shape represents a lake, Hotel Reservoir Schoo! National Plantation ee Contours 7 finmeves) ‘Scattered troes Am Ngo sy gonch ak #63 Spotheight N oT ng i utc pap Hp gy gpg aap 6 7 cr a a a Environments Through Maps 33P 7 Abbreviations Abbreviations may either appear beside symbols to explain what they are, or they may appear on their own, An example of a commona abbreviation used in maps is ‘Sch’ which represents a school. Fig410 Conyouloeae Height symbols ‘thonotelsonthisms? The heights of places are shown on topographical maps by contours. Contours are imaginary lines joining places of the same height above or below sea level. Specific heights on a map are represented by bench, ‘marks, trigonometrical stations and spot heights. ‘Abench mark is a mark placed in a rock or wall to show the height of a place. A trigonometrical station is a circular disc placed on the ground to show the height of a physical feature such as a hill or mountain, Unlike trigonometrical stations or bench marks, spot heigh marked on the ground, are not ean __ Trigonometrical station Fig A Abench marccanbe ametal eS Seem Pe a ‘The different elements on a map provide us with different kinds of information that are on the Earth's surface. Therefore, knowing what the elements and symbols are will help us obtain the information we requite. Bi ten Steno TAD, types of symbols used to show height on a map? 34. Chaptor 4What Is an Atlas? An atlas is a book of maps. It usually contains small-scale maps of countries in the world. Most of these maps show only the major physical features (eg mountain ranges), human features (eg cities) in different countries and political divisions. Acommon map found in an atlas is the world map, which shows the locations of oceans and continents, Geographers have divided the large bodies of water of the Earth into five oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Southern Oceans, The rest of the Barth's surface is made up of large masses of land called continents. There are seven continents, namely: Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Antarctica, On each continent, the land is further divided into smaller areas, each separated by political boundaries. The territory of a nation or a state is called a country. A large settlement is called a eity. A big country usually thas more than one city. In each country, there is a chief major city known as the capital where important human activities take place and important buildings, such as government offices, are located. For instance, Australia has several major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, By using an atlas, we can locate countries and major cities in each continent, and learn more about these places. We can also use the distribution maps in the atlas to find out the amount of rain received, or the types of plants growing in an area, Fg 412 ln axdiion showing th seven continens and ive nears this map shows the size of bach ofthe cntinent in velatian to ‘one anther an the Earth a Whats an atlas? What aro the usos: of an atlas? Environments Through Maps 35Locating Places and Features in an Atlas ‘To locate places and features in an atlas, we use latitudes and longitudes. Latitudes Latitudes are imaginary horizontal lines that run in an east-west direction round the Earth, The Equator running across the middle of the Earth is the longest line of latitude which divides the Earth into two equal halves. The upper half of the Earth from the Equator to the North Pole is known as the Northern Hemisphere. ‘The lower half of the Earth from the Equator to the South Pole is known as the Southein Hemisphere North Pole (90°N} Fig 4.13 Latitudes ac imaginary horizontal ines on the Earth fe South Pole (20°S) Latitudes are measured in degrees and minutes from the Equator, and increase in value as they meve northward and southward. Latitudes moving northward from the Equator are measured from 0 to 90'N, while latitudes moving southward from the Equator are measured from 0°10 908. ‘The important latitudes are: (a) Equator O (©) Antarctic Circle (66.5°S) (b) ‘Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N)_(f)_ North Pole (90'N) (©) Tropic of Capricorn (23.5'S)(g) South Pole (90'S) (d) Arctic Circle (66.5°N) 36 Chapter 4Longitudes Longitudes are imaginary vertical lines that run in a north-south direction from the North Pole to the South Pole on the Earth's surface. The Greenwich Meridian, also known as the Prime Meridian, is the 0° longitude. It is known as the Greenwich Meridian because it passes through a town called Greenwich, near London in the United Kingdom, North Pole (90°N) Longitudes are also measured in degrees and minutes, and they increase in value as they move eastward and westward from the Greenwich Meridian. Longitudes moving from the east of the Greenwich Meridian are measured from 0’ t0 180E, while longitudes moving from the west of the Greenwich Meridian are measured from 0° to 180°W. Thus, both 180'E and 180'W lie on the same longitude. a ‘What Fig 414, Longitudes are imaginary ‘otic fins on te Earth South Poie (30°S) re latitudes. and longitudes? Using latitudes and longitudes to locate places Latitudes and longitudes cross each other to form a network of lines ora grid on maps. This grid makes it possible for us to state the exact, location of any place on the Earth’s surface. "North Pole (90°N} Whats a grid used for? Fig 415. The latitudes and longitudes form agri which allows us oleate South Pole (20°S) spot places onthe Earth, Environments Throuah Mans 37Fig 4B The ast eco message sent by Titanic reals “S08 $OS COD COD (ists signals) MGY (itane’s radio cal letters Wie are sinking fast passengers are being put into boats. MGY Fig 4.17 ¢Amarts’ imprssip ofthe right Ti struceieebergp Nevfoul@land, Canada To describe the location of a place on a map, we state the latitude first, then the longitude, When the steamship Tuanic struck an iceberg on 15 April 1912, the radio operator sent messages to sarby ships requesting for help. The message received by a ship Carpathia was: “Come at once, We have struck a berg. It's a COD OM. Position 41.46°N, 50.14°W.” Looking at the map below (Fig 4.18 @), the position of Titanic when it hit the iceberg was 41.46° north of the Equator and 50.14° west of the Greenwich Meridian, var {Prime Meridian) od awThe International Date Line ‘The International Date Line (IDL) is the 180° longitude that Ties directly opposite the Greenwich Meridian. When we travel east across the IDL, our date moves back by one day. On the other hand, when we travel west across the IDL, our date moves forward by one day. For example, when we travel eastward from Japan (138°E) to Alaska in the United States of America (150°W) on Monday, our date moves back by one day. This means that itis Sunday when we arrive in Alaska (Fig 4.18 @). The IDL does not follow the 180° longitude along its entire course. It bends at certain places in order to allow these land areas and. islands to have the same calendar date, me nave # Whats the IDL? Why is the IDL not shown as a straight line on a world map? Fig 418. By specifying the Fatitudes ad longitudes, we can Focateplaas easly on map, Environments Through Maps 39Dey eon) Time Zone Variations Due to the rotation of the Earth, places on different parts of the Barth experience day and night at different times. As the Earth rotates castward, places in the east experience the rising sun earlier than places in the west. For instance, as Singapore lies on 103°E and Denver in the United States of America lies on 1042W, Singapore is ahead of time compared to Denver. In order to know how far ahead or behind time ‘Singapore is compared to other places, we need to know about standard time zones, Standard time zones As the Earth takes approximately 24 hours to rotate 360 degrees, the world is divided into 24 standard time zones. Each time zone represents 15° longitude, or the distance the Earth rotates in | hour. The Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the base time zone, at 0° longitude, and this is used as a reference point for all other time zones. 0 01806600 000090000 OO CO00000 BB Fons that donot adopt the standard ime zane system «Cty —Intemationa boundary Fig 19 Th wedi vided int 24 tn ns. aon rpresats 16 logit Doyu ot that sana counties dont eo the sane tine a the ater courses within the time zone? Why this so? 40 Chapter 4Hence, the nearest time zone west of Greenwich experiences | hour earlier than Greenwich, while the nearest time zone east of Greenwich experiences | hour later. For example, when itis 12 pm in Greenwich, itis 1 pm in Paris. on Pe) Fig 420_fyou travel west rom 0° longitude, subtract time If SnathPaege's) YOU travel east from O° longitude, add tine. | ER te alee rele Se Bills. Maps are useful to help us find our way in an unfamiliar place, such as when we travel to another country for a holiday. Imagine a friend from a foreign land is coming to Singapore for a holiday and that you are going to show him or her around the country. 1. Where is your friend from? (a) Locate the city, the country and the continent on the map. (0) With the help of an atlas, find the latitude and longitude of the city. {c) Is your friend's country located in a different time zone from Singapore? If itis, what is the time difference between his or her country and Singapore? You can either use the WorldTime Zones map on page 40 or find out the time of the country at http://www timeanddate.com/worldclock (last accessed on 1 June 2005) Environments Through Maps 412. Where would you like your friand to visit? (a) List three places of interest that you would like him or her to visit, (b) How would your friend get there by MRT or bus? Visit httpuwwwstreetdirectory.com.sg (last accessed on 1 June 2005) and search for the map of the area. Download and print the map extract. (0) Using the map extract, give your friend step-by-step instructions on how to reach the places of interest from your home. at It leans. Acity refers toa large settlement. Continents are large masses of land. The seven continents are Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Antarctica, Contours, or contour lines, are irraginary lines joining places on the map that are of the same height. A country is the territory of @ nation or a state. ‘The Greenwich Meridian, also known as the Prime Meridian, is the 0° longitude. ‘The Intemational Date Line (IDL) is the 180° longitude that lies directly opposite the Greenwich Meridian. Latitudes are imaginary horizontel lines that run in an east-west direction round the Earth. The legend, or the key, on a map lists all the symbols used in the map and explains what each symbol represents. Longitudes are imaginary vertical lines that run in a north-south direction from the North Pole to the South Pole on the Earth's surface. Maps are pictures or graphical representations of all or a part of the Earth's surface and its features. Oceans are large bodies of water on the Earth. The five oceans are the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Southern Oceans. The seale of a map shows the relationship between a length on a map and the actual distance it represents on the Earth’s surface. 42 Chapter 4Symbols are used on maps to represent the different physical or human features found on the surface of the Earth. As the Earth takes approximately 24 hours to rotate 360 degrees, the world is divided into 24 time zones. @iit. geological topographical rainfall : x title sources of information — el tools for planning —}— uses x asic, ari ines Pinta ea] to records of changes silts contours a book of small-scale maps names of features: north arrow large-scale map scale f| shows. small area features sinallscale map legend | shows abig area = J J i symbols: features —{~ Physical latitudes — horizontal lines longitudes — vertical lines lt hima Equator (01 Greenwich Merion” ‘Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N} Priva Merion (I) uses id ‘Topic of Capricom |23.5°S) Intemational Date Line (180°) locating places a pueieiniiey tate before lngitde Antarctic Cie (6 5°S) | Nero showing 24 time zones in ‘South Pola(80°S), the world Enviconments Through Maps 43