Map Information“Finding”and Actual Examples

XU XI

(Chongqing Jiaotong University，Chongqing 400074，China)

Translator:ZENG Shan

(Chongqing YUCAI Project Supervision Limited Company，Chongqing 400074，China)

0.Introduction

Map is a tool for explaining things with iconography;its birth is earlier than letter，and its age is larger than letter.But even today，clear defining map is still difficult.With the development of human civilization and technology，many fields that close related with map have big change.For example，digital equipments as computer is widely using in map cartography.Now map is not only drawing on paper(or similar medium)，but also on screen with digital format;Satellite remote sensing image from spaceflight technology is the application of new technology on map.By this technology，the cartology gets a new data source.Now cartology could translate image to map product directly by this technology，and human’s view moves from earth to moon and other planets.Multimedia technology makes video，sound into map.With technology revolution，map becomes more powerful and covers more scopes.

The definition of map in〈multi-language cartography technological dictionary〉is“choose some selected information or nonfigurative character from surface of ball or orb，then describe on some plane mediums with scale”.Some experts also describe map as“graphic expression of space information”;“channel for information transmission”，etc.currently，the definition that most acceptability，most fit for modern cartology is:“map is a graph，it bases on mathematic principles to describe natural or social phenomenon on earth(or other planet)on a planed graph.It uses cartography to translate this information on the graph to describe amount，quality，distributing with time and space，development.”(〈Tian Desen Modern cartology theory〉).All definitions above are different，but they all accentuate map is a powerful tool for information carrier.

Map is the production of combination of natural science and social science.It has three important identity:could be calculated by special mathematic rule;easily reading by special cartography language;overview by cartography combination.In modern world，amount of information is fast increasing and new information comes every day.So whether using map as a tool to describe things，or reading map to find out useful information，or use map to solve problem，have more benefit.This article should use actual example to prove this issue.

1.The most popular map

In 1908，people usually lose in London’s underground system，because there are over 10 different lines and layout is very complex.For the target of customer service and decreasing moan from customers，the railway company launched London Underground Map.This map is not only about underground information，but also includes information on the ground，such as length of street，building’s names，and food in different restaurant，etc.London underground map is fit for the standard of precision and full-scale for map，but the map is in a mess and it is too hard to reading because so much information cover the map.If the customer is first time to London，he can’t find the entrance of underground system with the map.The result of launch the map is fail.

Until 1931，Harry Beck，a 29 year’s old unemployed underground worker，waked up to customers were not care about the distance between different stations，or thing on the ground，what they want to know is where to enter or exit underground if they want to arrival their destination.Customers don’t need a map for London city;a map just includes information of underground lines and stations is enough.Beck drawn a simple map that only about underground system:every underground line is horizontal or vertical or with 45 degree angle;no other geographical sign except a simplified Thames;distance between every station is the same without regard to actual distance;legibility larger sign size in compression area in city centre.In very short time，Beck changed the most complex traffic map to a simple road map，it is so popular that be called“ the most popular map in the world”.(Graph 1)

Graph 1 London Underground system map

Be the guiding page of London underground system，Beck’s map is a wonderful production.Because he uses beeline for underground lines and simple signs for stations to insteading complex information，the map’s content is simple，beauty，and easy to use.Whether you are busy or leisurely，you can easily find information that you need from the map.The map from Beck brings a new idea for cartography–“design map by demand”.Even today，it is the important sample for City traffic Map.(Graph 2)

By another side，Kang Yiming，a pupil from Beijing Zhongguancun No.4 elementary school，drawn a similar map as Beck’s one.It is the tourism map for Beijing Tiananmen and other tourist destinations around.It also is a simple map to reading easily.(Reference 3)

Graph 2 Beijing Underground System map

2.Map that easy to calculation

Graph 3 is the〈Air Power Map〉from〈American and World current situation Map Collection〉in 1990s.

One plane sign on the map means 100 planes，by easily calculating，readers can know numbers of battle plane in different countries to confer those countries’military and economic force by estimate the air force power.

Graph 3 Air force map

〈Shanghai Economic Map〉in《Map collection of Shanghai City(1996)》is a very beautiful map.This map uses petals(lily-City flower of Shanghai)graph to showing output value of three industries，the red petal as the primary industry，the green one as secondary industry，the yellow one as tertiaryindustry.The flower seat horizontal arc show scale of three industries，the blue pistil(pole)as GNP per person.The amount of employee and scale graph of these three industries is on the top left corner.People can easily find information from map and the map is more beautiful than Graph 4.

Graph 6，7 are from〈Pestilence information map collection of SARS in mainland of China〉.This map collection is very important when fight against SARS.The collection bases on actual information to build histogram on different provinces and cities by different colors，and each map has special addition graph.By reading pole of addition graph，readers can know:numbers of patient，death，medicine organization and doctors/nurses;current situation of SARS;and the development of SARS by comparing maps with different time.

Graph 4 Shanghai Economic Map

Graph 5 SARS situation map(5.1－5.10)

Graph 6 SARS situation map(5.11－5.20)

3.Map for real scene

Graph 8 shows the changing of Dongting Lake in different ages，information in the map include changing of water area.It is very important for environment evaluation，weather forecasting，water conservancy construction and sustainable development design.

Graph 7 Changing map of Dongting Lake

Graph 9 is〈World Happily Map〉，figures in the map are happily figure in different countries and regions，these figures are nothing about longitude and latitude.

Graph 8 World Happily Map

〈Archaic Capital Moving Map of China〉is one page in〈History and civilization map collection of China〉.The blue line means capital moving between different dynasties，and the red line means moving in same dynasty.The wheel means direction of moving.Flags on cities show capitals of different dynasties.For example，in 770 BC，Zhou Dynasty moved capital from Chang’an to Luoyang.

Graph 9 Archaic Capital Moving Map of China

Graph 11 is〈Education Map collection〉.It is used to geographical education.Comparing is aerial photo(left)and map(right)，map is much easier to reading.In the map，orange is private house，red is public building，green is park and sward.

Graph 10 Education Map

〈Henan Shi Yi Map〉drawn in Jiaqing Age of Qing Dynasty，it was drawn by Chinese painting，the map is very beautiful and shows city，government office，house，river，mountain，vegetation，etc.Chinese map in that age likes a drawing from nature，but it is easy to reading as modern map.

Graph 11 Henan Shi Yi Map

4.Blooding House Map(draw by public)

In 8th，Oct，2010，a net friend created a“Chinese Blooding House Map”，which allow public to add information on the map，on internet.Amount of readers is over hundred thousand in two weeks.

The map uses sign to show forced relocations that medium covered.Touching the sign，people can read simple situation and latest information.Until end of 2010，the number of sign on the map is over eighty，it covers most provinces and cities of China，it includes some famous events such as Tang Fuzhen Self-burnt event，Huang Yi Self-burnt in Jiangxi Province，etc.The blaze sign means self-burnt，bed means death，volcano means Mass incidents.So many signs show that forced relocation takes very terrible effect.The author of the map wrote an introduction“the map is signed by net friends with public information on internet”.The objective of the map is record all forced relocation events and sparkplug people refuse to buy new houses which based on these forced relocation events.Some Chinese mediums said that:it is a peaceful mode from Chinese net friends to hope that reliable development of urbanization and harmonious society.

Graph 12 Chinese Blooding House Map

5.Conclusion

Map is older than letter，so its amount is huge and very beautiful.By the limited of length with this article，the author uses some examples to prove that map is a very useful tools for information describing，obtaining，analyzing and using.

Reference:

［1］Huang Rentao，Pang Xiaoping，Ma Chenyan.Special Map Drawing［M］.WUHAN UNIVERSITY PUBLISHING，2003.

［2］Zhu Guorui.Cartology［M］，WUHAN UNIVERSITY PUBLISHING，2004.

［3］Kang Yiming.the report of tourism guiding map of Beijing Tiananmen Plaza and around building”［J］.China Science Education，2010(9):20－24.

［4］Luan Xiaoyan，Sun Qun，Wei Daiyong.Expression of Special Cartography［J］.Bulletin of Surveying and Mapping，2007(4):69－72.