Lab 1- Corey Rovzar

Map Exercise

Good Map

This map of vegetation types of Africa is good because it contains a title, legend, scale bar, and additional information that helps to visually display Africa vegetation data in a clear and understandable way. The title gives the reader an understanding of what data the map is visually displaying. In this example, "Natural Vegetation in Africa" suggests that the map is displaying data about different vegetation types in Africa. The legend acts as a guide to interpret different aspects of the map and in this case, provides a key of vegetation types that match the colors on the map. The scale bar provides insight into the scaling of the map and an understanding of the actual area of the region. The map projection is also given to provide information regarding the possible discrepancies in the shape, size, distance, or area of the projected region. Additionally, the cartographer has included textual information. By labeling the lines of latitude and longitude, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the different seas, and nearby countries, the cartographer helps orientate the reader with the relative location of Africa. Countries within Africa are also labeled as well as major rivers which provides information regarding vegetation type within specific countries and allows for greater understanding of vegetation types in Africa. Overall, the map is clear and organized in a manner that is not overwhelming or confusing and uses color well in order to display vegetation types in Africa.

Bad Map

In contrast with the first map, this vegetation map of Africa is not very good because it lacks a title, legend, scale bar, and additional information that orientates the reader with the area. Without a title, the purpose of the map is unclear which prevents the reader from understanding the meaning of the map. Additionally, lacking a legend creates further confusion as it is unclear what each color of the map represents. Even if there was a title indicating that the map displays vegetation types in Africa, the distribution of vegetation types would still be unclear without knowledge of what type each color represents. Without a scale bar, the scale of the map is unknown and does not give any insight into the actual size the area. Lastly, without labeling nearby countries, bodies of water, and countries within Africa, it is more difficult for the reader to understand the relative location as well as basic geography of Africa which will further hinder their understanding of the data. Overall, this map is bad because it does not present the data clearly. A primary reason for creating a map is to present data in a way that is easier to understand then for example, a table. By excluding informative components, this map creates confusion and does not succeed in making the data on vegetation types in Africa easier for the reader to understand. Although the data may be accurate, the presentation of the map ultimately makes it more difficult to understand.


Census 2000 Exercise