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Five Essential Components of Maps

Title

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  The most basic component of a map is its title. The title should refer to everything the map is seeking to cover. It could be a basic name of a country, such as 'Japan' or it could be more extensive, such as 'Water Tables in the Western Saharan Desert.' The title should clearly state what the cartographer's intentions and goals are; it should be specific and it should not include irrelevant information.

  
  

  
  
  
  

Legend

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  Every map must have a legend or key. The legend is a vital tool in understanding and interpreting the map. The legend contains a wealth of detail on the map, and should explain every feature or symbol contained on the map. It should reveal what every marking means, and sometimes provide additional information. For example, a city may be represented by a large black dot of a certain size on a map, and the legend may explain that this represents a city with a population greater than 1 million people.

  
  

  
  
  
  

Scale

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  A scale is important to put into perspective for the reader the distances on the map, and to provide accurate navigational information for the user. A scale tells the user what the scaled- down size of the representation is. This usually represented by a ratio. For example if a map represents an area that is actually 100,000 times bigger, in actuality the map's scale is said to be 1:100,000.

  
  

  
  
  
  

Compass

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  All maps must have a compass orientation. Since the primary purpose of a map is to provide and insight into directions, a map has to be able to show which way is which on a compass. Most maps have North at the top and South at the bottom, but all maps should have an official representation of the compass orientation.

  
  

  
  
  
  

Date

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  To give context to a map, the date of publication should be present. As maps are continually updated with additional information and improved accuracy, it is important to know the time when your map was published. For example, viewing a map of London published in 1970 might still be useful, but will not be as accurate as one published in 2011.

  
  

  
  
  
  

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