10 things you need to know about maps
- 1Do all maps show real places?
- 2How are features selected?
- 3Why do maps have scale?
- 4Why do place names change over time?
- 5How are hills shown on a flat map?
- 6Why use symbols?
- 7Do maps go out of date?
- 8How do maps show human activity?
- 9How is the spherical world made flat?
- 10Why is north to the top?
Maps are everywhere, on our phones, in our cars and pockets, on walls, bus stops and adverts. They proclaim YOU ARE HERE!
Maps plant us firmly in a place, at an exact spot in the world. We rely on them to navigate safely from one place to another. But how much do we really know about them?
This website challenges our acceptance of maps by posing questions about how they are made and how we understand them.
Travel to the edge of the world, look into the maps and seek the answers. Wonder at the cartographers’ skill, drawing together art and science to produce versatile, useful, beautiful maps.