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Map layout, also called map composition or (cartographic) page layout, is the part of cartographic design that involves assembling various map elements on a page. This may include the map image itself, along with titles, legends, scale indicators, inset maps, and other elements.
The legend of the map also contains important information and all of the thematic symbols of the map. Symbols that need no explanations, or do not coincide with the theme of the map, are normally omitted from the map legend. Thematic symbols directly represent the maps theme and should stand out. [17]
A title tells the reader what the map is about, including the purpose or theme, and perhaps the region covered. A legend or key explains the meaning of the symbols on the map; A neatline may frames the entire map image, although many maps use negative space to set the map apart; A compass rose or north arrow provides orientation
The other option is to store the location and style of each label in the map data, just like the rest of the map; this is typically called annotation. [21] Text can be modeled as a Geometric primitive , like points, lines, and polygons, and in graphics software , it is stored in the map document in the same way as other geometry, allowing for ...
General-purpose maps provide many types of information on one map. Most atlas maps, wall maps, and road maps fall into this category. The following are some features that might be shown on general-purpose maps: bodies of water, roads, railway lines, parks, elevations, towns and cities, political boundaries, latitude and longitude, national and ...
The academic study of symbols is called semiotics. In the arts, symbolism is the use of a concrete element to represent a more abstract idea. In cartography , an organized collection of symbols forms a legend for a map.
A third type of map is known as an "orienteering," or special purpose map. This type of map falls somewhere between thematic and general maps. They combine general map elements with thematic attributes in order to design a map with a specific audience in mind.
The most common purpose of a thematic map is to portray the geographic distribution of one or more phenomena. Sometimes this distribution is already familiar to the cartographer, who wants to communicate it to an audience, while at other times the map is created to discover previously unknown patterns (as a form of Geovisualization). [17]