Using
Political
Maps
Rebecca E. Hirsch
Copyright 2017 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written
permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in
an acknowledged review
Lerner Publications Company
A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
241 First Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA
For reading levels and more information, look up this title
at www.lernerbooks.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hirsch, Rebecca E., author.
Title: Using political maps / by Rebecca E. Hirsch.
Description: Minneapolis : Lerner Publications, 2016 | Series: Searchlight Books. What
do you know about maps? | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015036521| ISBN 9781512409475 (lb : alk. paper) | ISBN
9781512412949 (pb : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781512410747 (eb pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Map readingJuvenile literature. | Administrative and political
divisionsMapsJuvenile literature.
Classification: LCC GA130 .H56 2016 | DDC 912.01/4dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015036521
Manufactured in the United States of America
1 VP 7/15/16
Contents
WHAT IS
A POLITICAL
MAP? ... page
WHATS ON A
POLITICAL MAP? ... page
HOW DO YOU USE A
POLITICAL MAP? ... page
Chapter
WHAT IS A
POLITICAL MAP?
Imagine you are trying to
find buried treasure. You have
a map that leads the way. An X
on the map marks the spot of the
treasure. You
dont see an X
on the ground, of
course. But thanks
to the map, you know
exactly where to dig.
Maps can show us many
things about a place.
What does this map show?
Maps can serve many purposes. A map may show
the location of treasure. It may show natural features on
Earth, such as mountains and deserts.
A map may show places that have been created by
people. It may show the borders that separate these
places. These borders arent features of the land, the
way mountains or deserts are. They are imaginary, like
the X on the treasure map. A map that shows human
places and their borders is called a political map.
This is a political map of the
Middle East. It shows what
the area looked like in 1855.
A political map may show different countries and their
capitals. It may show states, provinces, counties, cities,
and other important places. Any place that was created
by people might appear on a political map.
A map like this one may be hanging
in your classroom. Maps that
show states are political maps.
This political map shows the Great
Lakes. They are the blue part of the
map near Michigan and other northern
states. But it does not show smaller
lakes within these states.
No single map can show everything. For this reason,
cartographers (people who make maps) choose what
places they want to emphasize. They include only the
features that will be important to people using the map.
A political map may show important bodies of water,
such as rivers and lakes. But you probably will not see
mountains or deserts on a political map. Youll mostly
just see human- made things.
Globes vs. Political Maps
If you wanted to see all the countries on Earth, you
could look at a globe. A globe is a tiny model of Earth. It
shows the true shape of Earth a sphere. A globe can
show you all the countries on the planet, but it can show
you only part of Earth at one time. If you want to see
countries on the other side of the world, you have to turn
the globe.
GLOBES SHOW ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS, BUT
YOU MUST TURN THE GLOBE TO SEE THEM.
Maps through History
People have been making maps for thousands of
years. In ancient times, they painted or carved
maps of their surroundings on rock or clay. As
civilization grew, mapmakers drew maps of
distant lands based on reports and drawings from
explorers and travelers. Modern cartographers
rely on aerial and satellite photography to map
the world. They draw maps by putting together
these photographs like puzzle pieces.
This is the earliest known
map of the city of Jerusalem.
If you want to see all the countries of the world at
once, you will have to look at a political map. A political
map of the entire Earth shows all the countries of the
world. A political map may show the entire Earth or any
part of Earth. It may show many countries or just one
country. Or it may show just one state, such as the state
where you live.
Political maps of the world
show all the continents on
a single page.
Chapter
WHATS ON A
POLITICAL MAP?
Political maps use a special
language. It includes symbols,
names, numbers, lines, and colors.
You can learn how to read this language.
Political maps use
symbols that are simple
and easy to understand.
The meaning of these
symbols is shown in a legend,
or key. The legend is usually in a
box near a corner of the map.
The box in the right- hand corner of this map
helps you understand the symbols on the map.
What is this guide to the maps symbols called?