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Maps are great!

Especcially for information

A map is a symbolic representation of selected characteristics of a place, usually drawn on a flat surface. Maps present information about the world in a simple, visual way. They teach about the world by showing sizes and shapes of countries, locations of features, and distances between places. Maps can show distributions of things over Earth, such as settlement patterns. They can show exact locations of houses and streets in a city neighborhood.

Mapmakers, called cartographers, create maps for many different purposes. Vacationers use road maps to plot routes for their trips. Meteorologists—scientists who study weather—use weather maps to prepare forecasts. City planners decide where to put hospitals and parks with the help of maps that show land features and how the land is currently being used. Some common features of maps include scale, symbols, and grids.

Why are maps important?

  1. 1. SIMPLICITY
    Maps take complex data sets and display them in a pleasing graphic you can use to answer questions about your world. Imagine that you are back in elementary school and you ask your teacher to show you how big the United States is compared to other countries. She nods her head, walks over to the spring roller, and pulls down a huge spreadsheet that lists each country and their areas. Huh?!?! Maps are a visual representation of complicated data. Some may think maps are unnecessary and complicated tools, but in reality, maps simplify your life.
    table with compass

  2. 2. FUNCTIONALITY
    GPS can get you from point A to point B but it does a poor job with helping you visualize where you are in relation to everything else. Most people know how GPS works. It finds your location and you tell it where you want to go. GPS is very good at getting you to that next location but it doesn’t tell you anything about the places that you’re passing along the way. There’s a reason why cross-country trips aren’t planned on a phone. The best route isn’t always the fastest route and you can’t pick your best route without knowing your relationship to all the places around you. table with compass

  3. 3. MAPS CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE
    According to The National Park Service (NPS), there are more than 300 million people visiting national parks, forests, and wilderness areas every year. Spoiler alert, cell signals don’t extend to all these areas and maps may be the only reference you’ll have in an emergency. If there’s flooding near you, you’ll need to know how to get to the closest high elevation. If an injury happens, you’ll need to get to the nearest high traffic area for help. If a bear cuts off your path, you’ll need to find an alternate….fast. So don’t get caught out there holding your phone to the sky begging for a signal. A paper map may actually save your life. globe

  4. 4. MAPS MAKE YOU HAPPY
    Going on a trip can be a thrilling adventure but planning can also be an exciting part of your journey. According to the 2010 study published by the Applied Research Quality Life, it’s the planning and anticipation of the trip, not the actual trip, that makes travellers the happiest. This is why maps are often used as gifts to announce a trip even in the distant future. So grab a map, plan a trip, and be happy! globe

  5. 5. MAPS GIVE STORIES CONTEXT
    Maps inspire you to think outside your own world, to expand your horizons, and take a look at the places you want to go to. The world is a big place and even just acknowledging there are huge amounts of space in the world that you know nothing about can expand your mind. Yearning to understand our massive world will inspire one to learn and explore. It doesn’t matter if you travel out of your state or halfway across the world, a fresh outlook on the enormity of the world and a glimpse of a different culture beyond your own makes you a better human. globe
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