What are the cards by purpose. Meaning and classification of geographical maps
For the first time, I got acquainted with a geographical map at school in geography lessons. Then I entered the Faculty of Geography, and there I began to study cartography, economic geography and country studies in more detail. We had practical classes in the same cartography or country studies, where we ourselves filled out our own personal contour map. Now I want to tell you about the geographical map and its types.

Types of geographical maps by content
I love learning the map. Perhaps this is a habit since my student years, but sometimes even now I take a map and study the geographical nomenclature or just look at it. What is a map? What types of cards are there?

A map is a scaled-down model of the Earth made up of conventional signs at a scale of . All maps show the location, condition and connections of natural and socio-economic objects of our planet. Thanks to the map, we can clearly get acquainted with the new territory. Also, with its help, it is easy to store information. All geographical maps by content are divided into:

general geographical maps are universal maps that show the whole complex of physical and economic geography. All objects are shown comprehensively and genuinely. On such maps we can see the terrain, hydrography, land cover, population, countries and their borders (topographic and survey maps). );
thematic - show one topic extensively. It can be natural phenomena, population, cultural and economic facilities. These include maps of natural phenomena (meteorological, soil, botanical) and maps of social phenomena (objects of culture and science, political, economic and landscape). They show only one theme;
special - they are needed to solve special problems while working at specific enterprises (navigation, aerospace, marine).
Classification of maps by spatial girth
The map can depict a city or region, or maybe a continent or an entire Earth. All such types of maps are depicted at different scales. One of the most common classifications by girth has the following form:

map of the sky – the entire starry sky is depicted in scale;

map of any of the planets or the Earth;

map of the hemispheres;

map of continents and oceans;

map of countries, regions, districts;

map of the city.
There are many such maps and they are all of practical importance. Thanks to them, we will theoretically get acquainted with new territories and orient ourselves on the ground. Also, we can use cards in everyday life. This can be during a hiking trip or a holiday in an unfamiliar place. Some people are involved with the card at work. A geographical map is of great practical importance.

A geographic map is a thumbnail image of the earth's surface containing a coordinate grid and symbols on the plane.

The concept of a geographical map
The concept of geographical maps can be considered in a narrow and broad sense. In a narrow sense, geographical maps are an image of the projection of the terrain in a reduced scale.

In a broad sense, maps are a reduced projection of the image of the surface of the planet, its individual territories, using conventional signs.

Geographical maps reflect the status, connections and location of various social and natural phenomena, as well as their development, change in time and movement. Often, maps that have a common idea are combined into atlases.

Types of geographical maps
All geographical maps are divided into the following categories:

By territorial coverage: geographical maps of continents, maps of the world, maps of countries and regions.

By scale: small-scale, medium-scale and large-scale maps. Often, the accuracy and detail of the images depend on the scale of the map.

1. Scientific reference maps – maps that are intended for scientific research and contain scientific information.

2. Cultural and educational maps – geographical maps, the main function of which is the popularization of knowledge.

3. Educational maps – geographical maps that are used as a manual for studying such disciplines as history, geography.

4. Technical maps - a type of maps that are designed to solve technical specifications and display those objects and conditions that are necessary for this.

5. Tourist maps – maps depicting settlements, routes, places of rest and other services in settlements.

Thematic maps show the dynamics and interrelations of the population, economy, natural phenomena. Thematic maps can be divided into two subgroups: maps of social phenomena and maps of natural phenomena.

First geographical maps
The first geographical maps people created in ancient times. Representatives of ancient civilizations applied drawings depicting the area on blocks of stone, many of which have survived to this day in Africa and South America.

The heyday of cartography came in the era of the great geographical discoveries. In most cases, geographical maps were created directly by navigators, in particular James Cook and Christopher Columbus.

The purpose of our work is to consider the types and types of geographical maps.

The purpose of our work is to consider the types and types of geographical maps. But we will begin our article by answering the main question: what is a geographical map? This is a way of depicting the surface of our planet, as well as natural or socio-economic phenomena.

A map is a kind of model that has the following features:

distraction from the whole;
simplification;
summary and so on.
It is also important to note that cards are used in almost all spheres of human activity.

Map classification
Before considering in detail some types of geographical maps, let's look at the way they are divided into groups. Classification is a system that connects ordered (by some criterion) all possible varieties. This systematization serves several purposes:

inventory;
storage;
search;
scientific systematization;
compiling lists and catalogues;
creation of a data bank and cartographic information and reference systems.
As mentioned above, there are various principles for dividing geographic maps into types. The classification of cards according to their certain characteristics is one of them.

Such signs include:

scale;
theme;
the era of creation;
tongue;
method of registration;
publication and so on.
Any systematization must meet certain requirements. These include the following:

classification by essential feature;
Consistent;
one level - one base;
buxom;
reserve system (this requirement implies the ability to include new types of cards).
Now let's move on to a more detailed consideration of the types and types of currently existing maps.

Types and types of geographical maps
First, let's look at the types of maps by scale. They are divided into:

plans;
large scale;
medium-scale;
small-scale;
mainland;
map of the oceans.
It is also possible to classify on the grounds of territorial division, natural areas, economic regions, historical regions.

The following types of geographical maps are distinguished by content:

general geography;
themed;
Special.

The group of special cards includes tactile cards. They are created specifically for blind people. This also includes: globe, atlas, relief, digital, electronic and anaglyphic maps.

If we talk about types, we can distinguish the following:

analytical maps;
Complex;
Synthetic.
Now let's briefly consider each type separately. A striking example of an analytical group is the map of the angle of inclination of the relief. Such maps do not aim to show a general idea of the object. They isolate any one indicator and are dedicated only to it.

Complex maps include those that depict elements of a particular theme. Examples are: the image of isobars and vectors, the plowing of the territory and the yield of a crop, the water content of the river and its potential resources. Despite the fact that all the elements are given each in its own number system, their joint image on one map helps to consider everything in a complex and the relationship of one indicator with another.

An example of a synthetic map is a geomorphological one that reflects the type of relief, but it does not say a word about the steepness of the slopes. A few more examples: climate map, landscape, agricultural zoning, and so on. They allow you to see a holistic image of any object.