Distribution maps illustrate distribution of people or animals, weather statistics or geological features.
Distribution maps demonstrate specific data (e. g., endangered species, population, precipitation) by dividing a state, country or continent into zones. Each zone represents a portion of that state, country or continent's data. An endangered species map might illustrate how the species' habitats are distributed; a population map might show America's population by state. A climagraph, or weather map, might divide the country into desert, plains and mountainous regions, and display the temperature range or the amount of precipitation that each region normally gets each year.
Instructions
Map Coverage
1. Choose a land mass and an element to plot: its plant life or biodiversity, its climate, its population, its dispersal of mines, its geographical features or its imports/exports.
2. Research the data for the map area you've chosen.
3. Develop a color scheme for filling in the distribution map, matching it to the data. Green might represent vegetation; blue and red, cold and hot temperatures; orange, the location of copper mines.
4. List additional information to be added to the map, such as geographic identifiers (names of major cities, rivers or mountains).
Creating the Map
5. Plot your locations on a map template. Lightly sketch them, outlining their boundaries with a #2 pencil.
6. Shade the map with map pens or pencils to illustrate your data at hand. Add texture like waves in oceans and rivers, and raindrops or snowflakes to indicate precipitation.
7. Add your additional data, marking the location of cities, rivers and mountains and other features to give your map perspective.
8. Create a map key to identify the map characteristics and explain the distribution data. Include a scale as a key to sizes and distances.
9. Give the distribution map a descriptive title: "The Population of Poland," "Heron Habitats," "The Rain in Spain."
Tags: cities rivers, cities rivers mountains, country continent, data endangered, data endangered species
