Page 220 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Unit 11: Geographical Sources

Uses: Different types of maps serve different purposes: Notes
(i) A physical map is usually referred to for visual location and identification of the
world, country, region, city or town; mountain, river, lake, sea, ocean, gulf, bay,
desert; or any other geographical formation.
(ii) Topographic maps trace details of geological, soil, forest, and other basic information
and for historical, economic, political, or other types of development.

(iii) A route map shows roads, railroads, bridges, etc.
(iv) A political map normally limits itself to political boundaries of different countries,
states, cities, towns, etc.
(v) The historical maps chart the flow of a given battle or event and its progress.

(vi) The economic and commercial atlases record general information on business facts,
agricultural facts, communication, transportation, retails trade, exports and imports,
etc.
11.3.1 Types and Examples

Maps and atlases may be grouped under broad following two types:
(a) General and Topographical Maps and Atlases: General and topographical maps and atlases
are further divided into three classes according to their area of coverage:

(i) International Maps and Atlases: International maps are the maps created according to
international specifications and they are accepted globally. They list the entire nations
with their specified key states and cities.

Example: The Times Atlas of the World. 8th comprehensive edition. London: Times
Newspapers, 1990.
It is the revised edition of the single volume edition that was first published in 1967.
The new edition has 47 pages of prefatory information; graphic size comparison of
continents, oceans, river drainage basins, islands and inland water bodies; and eight
pages of world thematic mapping. The scale used is 1:850,000 for Great Britain and
1:2500,000 for the rest of the world. The name index forming part 3 has about 210,000
entries.
National Geographic Atlas of the World. 6th ed. Washington: National Geographic
Society, 1990.
The atlas displays the present countries of the world after the major changes
consequent to the breakup of the USSR and changes in Eastern Europe. Using the
newly adopted Robinson Projection, it contains a four-fold world map and a number
of spacecraft images of the earth and the planets.

(ii) National Maps and Atlases: Almost every country has a national cartographic agency.
It produces maps that usually conform to a national specification.

Did u know? The official mapping organizations in India are the “Survey of India”,
“National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization”, and “Geological Survey of India”.

They carry out surveying, data-collection, map-making, and publishing of national
maps and atlases. Though some private and commercial sectors also publish maps,
all of them are not authentic. National, regional, and local atlases deal with specific

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