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NCERT EXERCISE
1. Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) What are the three components of a map?
(b) What are the four cardinal directions?
(c) What do you mean by the term ‘the scale of the map’?
(d) How are maps more helpful than a globe?
(e) Distinguish between a map and a plan.
(f) Which map provides detailed information?
(g) How do symbols help in reading maps?
Answer 1.
(a) The three components of the map are – distance, direction and symbol.
(b) The four cardinal directions are – North, South, East and West.
(c) The scale of the map is the ratio between the actual distance on the ground and the distance
shown on the map. There are two types of map based on scale – Large scale map and small scale
map.
(d) A map is a representation or a drawing of the earth’s surface or a part of it drawn on a flat
surface according to a scale. It is impossible to flatten a round shape and scale it. Therefore,
maps are more helpful than a globe.
(e) The difference between a map and a plan is given below:

Map Plan

A map is a representation or a drawing of the A plan is a drawing of a small area on a large scale.
earth’s surface or a part of it drawn on a flat
surface according to a scale.

Maps give detailed information about a larger A Plan gives confined information about a certain
portion of the earth small area.

(f) Large scale maps give detailed information.

(g) Symbols represent roads, bridges, trees, railway lines, etc. through certain letters, shades,
colours, pictures and lines. In this way, symbols are a convenient means of reading a map.
2. Tick the correct answers.
(a) Maps showing distribution of forests are
(i) Physical map (ii) Thematic Map (iii) Political map
(b) The blue colour is used for showing
(i) Water bodies (ii) Mountains (iii) Plains
(c) A compass is used –
(i) To show symbols (ii) To find the main direction (iii) To measure distance
(d) A scale is necessary
(i) For a map (ii) For a sketch (iii) For symbols
Answer 2.
(ii) Thematic Map
(i) Water bodies
(ii) To find the main direction
(i) For a map

OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

1. Multiple Choice Questions
Choose the correct option to complete the sentences given below:
1. Which one is not a component of map?
(a) Direction (b) Symbol
(c) Scale (d) Distance.
2.………..is the symbol of………………
(a) International boundary (b) State boundary
(c) District boundary (d) Village boundary.
3. Brown colour is used for showing
(a) Water bodies (b) Plateaus
(c) Plains (d) Mountains.
4. A physical map shows
(a) Natural features of the earth
(b) Different countries and states of the world
(c) Distribution of forests
(d) Both (a) and (b).
5. Which one is not an intermediate direction?
(a) North-east (NE) (b) West
(c) South-west (SW) (d) North-West (NW).
6. What is a map?
(a) A globe (b) A drawing of the earth’s surface on a flat paper according to scale
(c) A projection (d) None of these
7. What is physical map?
(a) Showing natural features of the earth
(b) Showing cities, towns and villages with boundaries
(c) Showing rainfall, distribution of forests etc.
(d) None of the above
8. Which map gives more information?
(a) Small scale map
(b) Large scale map
(c) Ordinary map
(d) None of these
9. What does TV’ with arrow show?
(a) Direction of North
(b) Direction of East
(c) Direction of West
(d) Direction of South
 10. The blue colour is used for showing
(a) mountains
(b) plants and trees
(c) water
(d) none of these
11. A scale is compulsory for
(a) a map
(b) a sketch
(c) a symbol
(d) all of these
12.For what purpose magnetic compass is used?
(a) For measuring distance
(b) For showing symbols
(c) For finding the directions
(d) For all of these
13. Plan is a drawing of
(a) small area on a large scale
(b) large area on a small scale
(c) both (a) and (b)
(d) none of these
14. Yellow colour is used for showing
(a) plateaus
(b) water bodies
(c) mountains
(d) plants

II. Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words to complete each sentence:
1. A……….. is used to show large areas like continents or countries on a paper.
2. A………. is an instrument used to find out main directions.
3 . Maps have a…………. language that can be understood by all.
4. In a sketch match …………. is not needed.
5. Maps are more informative than a …………
III.True/False
State whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F).
1. A globe is used to study the earth as a whole.
2. Political maps show natural features of the earth.
3. A large scale map is used to show large areas like countries on a paper.
4. There are four intermediate directions.
5. Large scale maps give less information than small scale maps.

ANSWERS
I. MCQS
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
C A D A B B A A A C
11 12 13 14
A C A A
II. FILL IN THE BLANKS
1. small scale
2. compass
3. universal
4. scale
5. globe
III.True/False
1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. False

1. What is a map?
Answer: A map is a representation or a drawing of the Earth’s surface or a part of it drawn on a
flat surface according to a scale.
2. What is Atlas?
Answer: A collection of many maps in the form of book is called an Atlas.
3. Name the types of maps.
Answer: Maps are of different types such as Physical Maps, Political Maps, Thematic Maps.
4. Name the components of maps.
Answer: There are three component of maps- (i) distance (ii) direction and (iii) symbol
5. Why is scale needed in the map formation?
Answer: A scale is needed to represent a large distance in a small distance on paper.
6. What is scale?
Answer: Scale is the ratio between the actual distance and the distance shown on the map.
7. What are the Direction Maps?
Answer: Direction maps help us to find out a place.
8. What are four major directions?
Answer: There are four major directions – North, South, East and West. .
9. What do you know about cardinal points?
Answer: Major directions – North, South, East and West are called cardinal points.
10. Give the name of intermediate directions.
Answer: Intermediate directions are – North-East(NE), South-East(SE), South-West (SW), and
North-West (NW).
11. What is compass?
Answer: Compass is a magnetic instrument. It is used to find out directions.
 12. What are conventional symbols?
Answer: There is an international agreement regarding use of the symbols on maps. Symbols,
fixed through International agreement, are called conventional symbols.
13. Why do we use colours on the maps?
Answer: Different colours are used on the map for presenting different things or objects.
14. What is a sketch?
Answer: Sketch is a drawing mainly based on memory and spot observation and not according to
scale.
15. What is a plan?
Answer: Plan is a drawing of a small area on a large scale.
16. How are maps useful for us?
Answer: Maps are useful to us for various purposes. One map shows a small area and a few
facts. Another map may contain as many facts as a big book. The purposes can be summarized as
under:
Showing mountains, plateaus, plains, rivers, oceans etc.
Showing cities, towns and villages, states, countries etc.
Showing roads, rainfall, forests, industries etc.
17. What do you understand about Small Scale Maps?
Answer: When large areas like continents or countries are to be shown on a paper, then we use
a small scale and it is called a small scale map. In the small scale map, we use large distances like
hundreds of km in some cm. or mm.
18. What do you mean by Large Scale Maps?
Answer: When a small area like village or town is to be shown on paper, then we use a large
scale and it is called large scale map. In the large scale map we use distance of metres in some
cm. or mm.
19. What is compass and how does it work?
Answer: Compass is a magnetic instrument. We can find out the direction of a place with the
help of a compass. It is used to find out directions. It has a magnetic needle which always points
towards north-south direction.
20. Why are symbols used?
Answer: Everything or every object cannot be represented on the paper. For this purpose,
symbols are used. Symbol contains letters, shades, colours, pictures, lines etc.
21. What are conventional symbols?
Answer: Maps have a universal language that can be understood by all. There is an international
agreement regarding the use of these symbols. These are called conventional symbols.
22. What are the uses of colours in the maps?
Answer: Various colours are used in the map for presenting things or objects. For example, blue
is used for showing water bodies, brown for mountain, yellow for plateau and green for plains.