Types of Maps
Klamath
NF
NF
Rivers
NF
101
S ha s
299
General Reference
Lava Beds
NM
Klamath
Six
Redwood NP
t a -T
ri n i
ty
Lassen
Volcanic
NP
Whiskeytown
5
NRA
General Reference Maps use symbols to show
Lassen
NF
example, where the red line is drawn for the
NF
NF
99
roads is where you can actually find the road
example of a general reference map.
Toiyabe
NF
l
Sequoia
NP
Inyo 395
NF
Sequoia
NF
1Padres
101
99
Valley
Basin
and
Range
NP
58
L
os
Southern
Coast
Range
Death
da
5
Los
y
Kings
Canyon
NP
lle
NF
Va
Inyo
NF
Sierra
Pinnacles
NM
va
tra
Yosemite
Inyo
NP
NF
is an example of a thematic map.
Ne
Cen
NF
t
Stanislaus
The map of California’s physiographic regions, below,
rra
El Dorado
NF
Muir
Woods
NM
only general information about the theme or pattern.
Sie
50
not in an exact location because the maps provide
in real life. The map of California, below, is an
80
“theme.” Usually, the symbols used on these maps are
Northern
Coast
Range
Grea
Tahoe
NF
20
1
Thematic Maps use symbols to show a pattern or
Cascade
Range
the exact location of things on the Earth. For
Mendocino
NF
Modoc
Plateau
395
Plumas
Point
Reyes
NS
Thematic
Klamath
Mountains
Modoc
NF
Pa
dr
es
Mojave
15
NF
A
ng
el
National
Preserve
es
Transve
rse
40
NF
S an
Channel Islands
NP
Be r
nar
di n o
Joshua
Tree
NP
Mojave Desert
R an
ges
Peninsular
Ranges
10
ClevelandNF
Colorado
Desert
Cabrillo
NM.
8
Choropleth
Population of Kids 5-17 Years Old
Isopleth
Many Kids
400,001 - 1,600,000
Types of Thematic Maps
300,001 - 400,000
150,001 - 300,000
50,001 - 150,000
15,001 - 50,000
200 - 15,000
Dot Density
Population of Kids 5-17 Years Old
One Dot equals 3,000 kids
Few Kids
• Each county is shaded a color to show total number of kids
• This map shows a continuous distribution of kids
• The symbol covers an entire county, but it does not mean that
kids live everywhere inside the county
• Because we do not know how many kids live in every
single place in California, we take an average of two
cities in an area to estimate the number of kids in
that area
15,000 kids
30,000 kids
60,000 kids
600,000 kids
Color Patch
Graduated Circle
Population of Kids 5-17 Years Old
400,001 - 1,600,000
300,001 - 400,000
City Kids
Country Kids
150,001 - 300,000
50,001 - 150,000
• One dot equals a certain number of kids
• If dots are close together, lots of kids live in one area
15,001 - 50,000
200 - 15,000
• If dots are spread out, not very many kids live in one area
• One circle represents how many kids live in that county
• The size of the circle is proportional to the number of kids
that live in a county - the more kids that live in a county,
the larger the circle
10
California Geographic Alliance ©2010
• This map draws boundaries around different groups
of people (for example, City Kids and Country Kids)
• The map does not show how many kids are in each
group, just where each group is located
The sources and credits for this map are listed at http://humboldt.edu/cga/atlas-sources-credits. Note that this map is an 11x14 page, and not meant for 8.5x11 printing or use.
Siskiyou
NF
Rogue River
NF