Globes can represent the Earth in miniature, with features shown in a true relationship to each other, but they are not practical to put in your pocket for an afternoon walk. Paper maps are much easier to use, but an adjustment needs to be made in order to show a curved land surface on a flat map. The adjustment chosen is called a projection. Several different projections can be used, depending on the purpose of the map.
A map projection is a method for taking the curved surface of the earth and displaying it on something flat, like a computer screen or a piece of paper. Map makers have devised methods for taking points on the curved surface of the earth and “projecting” them onto a flat surface. These methods enable map makers to control the distortion that results from creating a flat map of the round earth.
Every map projection has some distortion. Equal area projections attempt to show regions that are the same size on the Earth the same size on the map but may distort the shape. Conformal projections favor the shape of features on the map but may distort the size.
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.
Picture Credit : Google