Thematic Map

Thematic maps are useful for understanding specific topics and often rely on chloropleth map characteristics to get across their messages. This one is conveying the average temperatures across Australia. It uses colors to indicate where high average temperatures are located and low temperatures are located.

http://www.bestcountryreports.com/Temperature_Map_Australia.html

Mental Maps

Mental Maps are often rough, crude drawings with little attention payed to scale and rely on an individuals mental picture of the area. These types of maps are not to be relied on for scientific or statistical data but are most helpful for directions or knowing a rough layout of an area.

http://www.fedstats.gov/kids/mapstats/concepts_mentalmaps.html

Hypsometric Map

Hypsometric maps are used by cartographers to illustrate changes in elevation. This is achieved by using different colors to represent different heights and then shading appropriately. This map shows a region of France and how near the rivers mouth the elevation is low.

http://www.reliefshading.com/colors/hypsometric.html

Univariate Chloropleth Map

This map depicts poverty in the United States. It uses the baseline lowest level of poverty to set where the darkest color should be and then usually gradually lightens the color. It shows that areas in the Arizona and Texas have the highest percentages of poverty.

http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2007/oct/07_0091.htm

Propaganda Map

Propaganda Maps are most often used to depict a certain areas view of what they think about the world. In this case the map is favorable to America and shows the rest of the world as beneath us. It is not at all an accurate representation of the world but shows a common view of many Americans.

http://kansieo.com/2008/04/08/the-world-according-to-texans/

Prism Map

This is a prism map representing West Nile Virus cases in the United States. This type of map is nice cause it allows for easy assumptions to be made when one looks at it. It uses colors to indicating number of cases but also uses the height of the states to indicate which has more cases. This map also shows that the misconception that gulf states were the most vulnerable it was in fact the upper midwestern states that were at most risk.

http://www.goldensoftware.com/products/mapviewer/mapviewer-maptypes.shtml

Range graded proportional circle map

Range graded maps deal sets the standard for the size of the distribution bubbles by subtracting the largest population time from the smallest size. This allows for a nice equal distribution and realistic sized bubbles to the population size. Also as you notice the bubbles are proportional to the population size due to the range set.

http://www.neiu.edu/~jrthomas/377/circle.jpg