What is a map?
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Ta h o e
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National
Forest
Tahoe
To i y a b e
National
El Dorado National Forest
Forest
Pacific Crest Trail
Major Roads
National Park
State Park
Wilderness Area
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Other Land Use
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How Cartographers
Use Symbols
Cartographers use different symbols on
maps to represent real features from the
world. Three common types of symbols
are point symbols, line symbols and
area symbols.
Cartographers use point symbols to show
exactly where one thing (a school or a
hospital) is located on the map. The symbol
is usually a dot or a picture.
When a feature is long and in the shape
of a line, cartographers use line symbols to
represent these things. On the map, a blue
line is used for a river and a black line is
used for a road.
When something on a map is not a
specific point, but rather a whole area,
a cartographer uses an area symbol.
These symbols shade an area to represent
places such as forests, urban areas,
and oceans.
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California Geographic Alliance ©2010
0
2 Miles
The sources and credits for this map are listed at http://humboldt.edu/cga/atlas-sources-credits. Note that this map is an 11x14 page, and not meant for 8.5x11 printing or use.
50
Lake