Kinds of maps and topographic maps

A map that shows a small part of the Earth’s surface on a large scale (1 : 200 000 or larger) is called a topographic map. It is made from measurements on the ground and from aerial photographs; because the area is small, errors are very small. A large territory is divided into many sheets, each limited by meridians and parallels. A sheet is divided into kilometre squares: at 1 : 100 000 a square side is 1 cm, at 1 : 50 000 it is 2 cm, at 1 : 25 000 it is 4 cm, and at 1 : 10 000 it is 10 cm. Relief is shown by contour lines, which join points of the same absolute height; the closer the contours, the steeper the slope, and the wider apart, the gentler it is. Rivers are blue and vegetation green, while roads and settlements are shown by special signs.