The main target of Political maps is to show the borders, cities, states, capitals, populations, the whole world, or just the continents as it demonstrate the location of various places on the basis of political division. You need to utilize the political maps in the case when you are not aware of the routes while heading towards visiting another country. The scale of the map based on political division is designed in such an exclusive way that it will come in front of you with the legends. In contrast, the main target of designing and presenting any physical map is to show a pictorial representation of the relief features of a specific region of the world. This is the main cause that the physical maps are more useful for students of geography as compared to the common man. You will find lots of physical and natural things in the physical maps consisting of the various sorts of land forms, including the mountains, plateaus, valleys in addition to the water bodies for example rivers, streams , oceans and more.
What is Political Map?
The use of the scale along with the legend in the political map will make you able to find an appropriate route to your desired place of interest in any country. The political maps are shown in the flat shape where the unnecessary detail of the mountains or water bodies and height or depth is not mentioned. Another function of the political map is to indicate the location of major cities of the country. Because the political maps represent the borders between the cities and the countries together with the roads and population detail, that’s why they are very useful for tourists.
What is Physical Map?
Since the physical maps represent the geographical condition of the area, that’s why it is very handy to the pilots because they have to fly over valleys and mountains. The hikers can utilize the physical maps in order to get to the right direction if they feel they have lost the right path out of the blue. The main motive behind the creation and announcement of the physical maps is to provide correct and useful information about the geography of the area. This is the basic reason that the physical maps illustrate the exact location of the mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, roads, cities, buildings, and other physical features.
Key Differences between Political Map and Physical Map
- The physical features of the area are shown in the physical maps. On the other hand, political map contains the information regarding the boundaries between areas.
- You will find the demonstration of the land forms and bodies of water of an area in addition to the terrain and elevation while checking the physical map. The political map on the contrary will present you the accurate location of the roads, population, cities, countries, and their boundaries.
- You will come across with the raised or dipped illustrations in the physical map the main objective of which is to depict mountains and valleys and other jagged features of the area. A political map is flat in nature where you will never find these features.
- For the students of geography, mountaineers and pilots, the physical maps are more useful as compared to the political one. Utilization of the Political maps will be effective in the situation when a person wish to travel to other places. The political maps can serve well to the businessmen and travelers.
- You will see the color combination in the making of the physical maps as they have to describe different relief features like mountains in brown, water bodies in blue and forests in green. Most of the political maps are black and white since they just need to describe boundaries.
- The physical maps are presented in the bird’s eye view and the political maps are made in the flat shape.
Video Explanation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wkxJSRAJ_c