Globes
Global Positioning Systems
A flat model of the Earth or
an area
Show continents and oceans
very accurately
Geographic Information
Systems
A round model of the Earth
Computer based mapping
Maps
Expensive to launch and
maintain
Useful because you can see
great detail quickly
Pictures of the Earth’s surface
taken from satellites orbiting
the Earth.
A system that used satellites
to give absolute location on
Earth
Used in navigation systems to
find locations and directions
Useful to geographers
Continents and oceans are
distorted
Makes data much easier to
read and use
Folds into a small space and
can be very detailed
Satellite Images
Shows little detail and is
difficult to carry around
Useful to the government and
rescue workers
Globes
 A round model of the Earth
 Show continents and
oceans very accurately
 Shows little detail and is
difficult to carry around
Global Positioning Systems
 A system that uses satellites
to give absolute location on
Earth
 Used in navigation systems
to find locations and
directions
Maps
 A flat model of the Earth or
an area
 Folds into a small space
and can be very detailed
 Continents and oceans are
distorted
Geographic Information
Systems
 Computer based mapping
 Makes data much easier to
read and use
Satellite Images
 Pictures of the Earth’s
surface taken from
satellites orbiting the Earth.
 Useful because you can
see great detail quickly
 Expensive to launch and
maintain
Fit in Multiple Categories
 Useful to geographers
 Useful to the government
and rescue workers
Mercator Projection
Interrupted Projection
Robinson Projection
Useful to sailors but
stretches the areas
around the poles
making the polar areas
look much larger than
they really are.
Show size and shapes
of land accurately but
gaps make the map
difficult to use.
Much more accurate
map that is easier to use
because there are no
gaps.
Key
scale
Part of a map that tells The size of an area on
you what the symbols a map as compared to
or colors mean
the area’s actual size
grid
Lines on a map that
help you find places
(ex: latitude and
longitude)
compass rose
Part of a map that tells
you directions (N, E,
S, W)