Pig: Oink! Look at the size of this hill in front of us. Are you sure this is the way to Badger's house?
Kangaroo: Yikes! That's some hill. I'm not sure. Hand me the map and I'll check our route.
Pig: The map? I don't have the map. I don't even have clothes! Where would I carry a map, mate?
Kangaroo: Oops! Silly me. It's right here in my pocket. OK, we're following this trail right here and there's the right turn we just took, so we're right here. Badger's house is over here and in between are a bunch of these squiggly lines really close together.
Pig: Squiggly lines? What do those mean?
Kangaroo: I'm not sure, but I think they mean we have to climb this hill. We'd better hurry. Badger is expecting us soon.
We have no idea why Pig and Kangaroo were meeting up with Badger, but we do think we know a bit about the squiggly lines on their map. It sounds to us like Pig and Kangaroo were using a topographic map, which was a smart decision since they were hiking.
You've probably seen many types of maps, from spherical globes to street maps displayed on smartphone screens. Topographic maps are different from other types of maps in that they are able to represent three-dimensional space on a flat, two-dimensional map.
Topographic maps use contour lines to show topography, which is how Earth's surface is shaped. If you've never seen a topographic map before, these "squiggly" contour lines are one of the first things you'll notice, since they give topographic maps a unique look.
Contour lines are lines of constant elevation, so they never cross on a map. They connect points of equal elevation on Earth's surface above or below a reference point, such as sea level. If you follow a particular contour line, you will find a number that indicates what elevation that line represents.
Contour lines make it possible to show the height and shape of mountains, the steepness of hills, and even the depth of the ocean floor. To visualize the shape of the terrain shown on a topographic map, you need to look at the spacing of the contour lines.
Topographic maps are a great tool for hikers and other people who want or need to be able to see how Earth's surface is shaped. For example, a regular map might show you that a hike from Point A to Point B is only one mile. A topographic map will show you if there happens to be a steep cliff, hill, or mountain between those points!
In addition to elevation, topographic maps show a wide variety of other geographic features, such as roads, rivers, lakes, forests, towns, buildings, railroads, political boundaries, mines, caves, and other minor and major geographic landforms. Topographic maps are used by many professionals, including construction and mining companies.
Topographic maps have been around a long time. The first topographic map series of an entire country dates back to 1789, when the Carte géométrique de la France was completed.
Nguruwe: Oink! Angalia ukubwa wa kilima hiki mbele yetu. Je, una uhakika hii ni njia ya nyumba Badger ya? Kangaroo: Yikes! Hiyo ni kilima fulani. Sina uhakika. Nipe ramani na mimi itabidi kuangalia njia yetu. Pig: Ramani hiyo? Sina ramani hiyo. Mimi hata sina nguo! Ambapo ningekuwa kubeba ramani, mate? Kangaroo: Oops! Mimi mpumbavu. Ni haki hapa katika mfuko wangu. Kwa hiyo, tunafuata njia hii hapa na tunatoka upande wa kulia, kwa hiyo tunaenda hapa. Nyumba ya Badger ni hapa na kati ni kundi la mistari hii squiggly kweli karibu pamoja. Pig: Mistari yenye kukatika-katika? Hizo humaanisha nini? "Kangaroo: ""Hakuna kitu, lakini nina hakika kwamba ninaweza kukimbia kwa njia ya njia ya juu.""" Ni bora tufanye haraka. Badger anatutarajia hivi karibuni. """Hatujui ni kwa nini Pig na Kangaroo walikuwa wakikutana na Badger, lakini tunafikiri tunajua kidogo kuhusu mistari ya squiggly kwenye ramani yao." Kwa hivyo, kwa sababu ya kuonekana kwa Pigs na Kangaroo, hii ni moja ya njia bora ya kutembelea eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo la eneo. Labda umeona aina nyingi za ramani, kutoka globes spherical kwa ramani za barabara iliyoonyeshwa kwenye skrini ya simu mahiri. Ramani za topografia ni tofauti na aina nyingine za ramani kwa kuwa zina uwezo wa kuwakilisha nafasi ya pande tatu kwenye ramani tambarare ya pande mbili. Ramani za topografia hutumia mistari ya mviringo kuonyesha topografia, ambayo ni jinsi uso wa Dunia unavyofanyizwa. Kama wewe si milele kuona ramani ya topographic kabla, hizi "squiggly" contour mistari ni moja ya mambo ya kwanza utaona, tangu wao kutoa ramani topographic kuangalia ya kipekee. Mistari ya mviringo ni mistari yenye mwinuko wa mara kwa mara, kwa hiyo haipatani kamwe kwenye ramani. Vinaunganisha sehemu zilizo na urefu sawa juu au chini ya uso wa Dunia, kama vile usawa wa bahari. Ukifuata mstari fulani wa mviringo, utapata nambari inayoonyesha urefu unaowakilishwa na mstari huo. Mstari wa mviringo hufanya iwezekane kuonyesha urefu na umbo la milima, mwinuko wa vilima, na hata kina cha sakafu ya bahari. Ili kuona kwa macho umbo la eneo lililoonyeshwa kwenye ramani ya eneo, unahitaji kuchunguza umbali kati ya mistari ya mviringo. Ramani za topografia ni zana nzuri kwa watembea kwa miguu na watu wengine ambao wanataka au wanahitaji kuona jinsi uso wa Dunia umefanyizwa. Kwa mfano, ramani ya kawaida yaweza kukuonyesha kwamba kutembea kutoka Ncha A hadi Ncha B ni kilometa moja tu. Ramani ya eneo itakuonyesha ikiwa kuna mwamba mkali, kilima, au mlima kati ya sehemu hizo! Mbali na urefu, ramani za kijiografia zinaonyesha aina mbalimbali za vipengele vingine vya kijiografia, kama vile barabara, mito, maziwa, misitu, miji, majengo, reli, mipaka ya kisiasa, migodi, mapango, na maumbo mengine madogo na makubwa ya kijiografia. Ramani za eneo hutumiwa na wataalamu wengi, kutia ndani makampuni ya ujenzi na madini. Ramani za kijiografia zimekuwapo kwa muda mrefu. "Mapango ya kwanza ya nchi ya Ufaransa yaliandikwa mwaka 1789 na ""Carte géométrique de la France."""