Different types of map

Topographic Map
A topographic map is a type of map that shows large-scale detail and
quantitative information of relief by the use of contour lines and various other
methods. The map shows both human-made and natural topographical
features. A topographical map is based on a topographical survey that has
been performed on a large scale and shows varieties of elevations and
landforms. Topographic maps have various uses including geographical
planning, civil engineering, large-scale architecture, and recreation such as
hiking. Features on the map are usually represented by conventional signs
and symbols. For instance, different colors can be used to indicate the
different classifications of roads. The signs are usually explained just below
the map or on the margins. Apart from contour lines, topographic maps also
show forest covers, water bodies, and buildings.

Geologic Map
A geological map is a map that is used to show geological features such as
geologic strata and rock units. The location of these features underneath
the earth's surface is shown by symbols or colors. Other features such as
fault lines, foliations, and folds are shown with strike and dip symbols which
gives them a three-dimensional orientation. There are two main types of
orientation measurements: orientation of planes measured as “dip” and “strike”
and orientation of lines measured as “trend” and “plunge.” Trend and plunge
are symbolized by single arrows and are used for linear features while strike
and dip are symbolized by a long strike line perpendicular to the direction
of the slope. In the US, geologic maps are superimposed over topographic
maps with additional color masks with letters to represent a geologic unit. In
the UK, the term “geological map” is used instead of a “geologic map.”

Political Map
World maps are generally political or physical. A political map is a map that
shows the political features of an area, country, or region. It shows a region
or country’s different territorial borders or boundaries, the location of
major areas or cities, and significant landmasses such as bodies of water.
There are different sizes of political maps. Some of these maps cover an entire
continent, an entire region, or a state or country. One of the main features of
a political map is the geographical boundaries. The boundaries between
countries, cities, or states, are indicated by lines. Political maps help in
understanding the geography of the world and are usually the first maps
that students are introduced to in school. This type of map is also known as
“reference map” and is either printed on a physical medium or paper. It can
also be produced in digital form for online use.

Physical Map
As the name suggests, physical maps are maps that have been designed to
show the physical or natural landscape features of the Earth. The maps are
best known to show several geographical features such as soil type,
mountains, and land use including infrastructural developments such as roads
and buildings. Physical maps are some of the most colorful maps with a
different color used to indicate different physical features. Most maps use
green to brown to gray color scheme to show elevation. A dark green color
is used to indicate near-sea level elevations and brown for higher elevations.
Water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and oceans are often indicated by a blue
color (light blue for shallow areas and dark blue for deeper waters). Ice
and glacier are shown in white color. Cultural information is not a focus of
physical maps but may be included on the map for geographic reference.

Road Map
Road maps, also known as route maps, indicate roads and other transport
links. They are navigational maps that also include political boundaries,
making them part of political maps. Apart from road and boundaries, road
maps also show certain points of interest such as tourism sites, prominent
buildings, recreational facilities like parks and restaurants, train stations,
and airports. The maps are of different sizes, shapes, and scales. Small maps
are used to show the overview of a region’s major roads or routes while
large maps give greater details and cover a large area. Highway maps give
an overview of major routes within a region. Street maps mainly cover areas
within a city or metropolitan area. A collection of road maps bound together
in a book is referred to as road atlas. Road maps often use thin lines to
indicate minor roads and thicker or bolder colors to indicate major roads.

Cadaster map
A cadaster map is a map showing the real estate of a country. It includes the
location, area, ownership, value, and tenure of an individual parcel of land.
According to the International Federation of Surveyors, a cadaster is an up-
to-date land information system that contains records of interest of lands
such as restrictions, rights, and responsibilities. It includes the geometric
description of the land and used alongside other records that describe the
nature of the interest, controls of such interest, and the value of the parcel
of land. Some maps also show additional information such as parcel’s
identification number, survey district name, certificate of title number,
adjacent street names, and position of existing structures.

Dot Distribution Map

As the name suggests, a dot distribution map is a type of map that uses dot
symbols to indicate the presence of features and depends on visual scatters
to show spatial patterns. There are two main types of dot distribution maps;
one-to-one and one-to-many. In a one-to-one dot map, each of the dots shows
one single recording of a feature. In a one-to-many dot map, a dot on the map
shows more than one feature being mapped but the dot distribution does not
show the actual location since they are arbitrarily placed on the map. Dot
distribution maps come in handy when mapping features that change smoothly
over space. However, the random placement of the dots may make the map
ineffective in communicating its messages.

Thematic Map
A thematic map is a map designed to highlight a theme connected with a specific
geographic area. Unlike a general reference map that shows several
phenomena (geographical, political, and geological), the thematic map
focuses on a specific subject area and uses base data only as a point of
reference for the feature being mapped. Thematic maps also put emphasis on
a spatial variation on a number of geographical distributions such as climate,
population density, and health. The map serves three main purposes: to
provide information about a piece of specific information, to provide general
information about the spatial pattern, and to compare patterns on different
maps.