Types of Maps (College Board AP® Human Geography): Study Guide

Types of maps

• The two main categories of maps are reference maps and thematic maps

Reference maps

• Reference maps are informational and show where something is in space

  • The function of reference maps is to display geographical data and information

  • Reference maps display physical and man-made features

  • Examples of reference maps include political maps, evacuation routes, and topographical maps

Thematic maps

• Thematic maps tell a story about a place by showing quantitative data 

  • There are five types of thematic maps:

    • Choropleth maps

    • Dot distribution maps

    • Graduated symbol maps

    • Isoline maps

    • Cartograms

Choropleth maps

• Choropleth maps use tone or color to represent spatial data

Dot distribution maps

• Dot distribution maps show the distribution of something across a map, with each dot representing a specific quantity. For example, the number of towns

Graduated symbol maps

• Graduated symbol maps use symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of something, for example, urban population

Isoline maps

• Isoline maps use lines to connect points of equal value

  • Common examples of isoline maps are topographic maps and weather maps
    

Cartograms

• Cartograms display information by distorting the size or shape of a place in proportion to the data represented

  • In the example below, each grid square represents 1 million people

    Image: Topographic map showing elevation