Mapping Two Harbor Towns

Five Maps of the Saltmere Coast

A class is studying five maps of the Saltmere Coast, where the harbor towns of Lanternreach and Pearlwick sit beside Bluefin Bay. Every map has a north arrow, so the top of the map is north. The physical map uses colors and landform labels. Bluefin Bay is along the south edge. Reed Marsh is north of Lanternreach. Granite Ridge is north of Pearlwick. Eel Creek begins in Granite Ridge and flows south to Bluefin Bay.

The political map shows the borders of the two towns. A dashed line follows Eel Creek from Granite Ridge to the bay. Lanternreach is west of the dashed line, and Pearlwick is east of it. Both towns touch Bluefin Bay. This map focuses on town boundaries rather than the height of the land.

The population map is a special-purpose map. Its key says that one red dot stands for 1,000 residents. Lanternreach has four red dots, while Pearlwick has two. The climate map is another special-purpose map. Pale green shows 50 to 59 inches of rain each year, and light yellow shows 40 to 49 inches. Lanternreach is pale green with 54 inches of rain. Pearlwick is light yellow with 43 inches.

The resource map uses symbols to show useful natural resources. Fish symbols appear in the bay beside Lanternreach, and reed symbols appear in Reed Marsh. Pearlwick has shellfish symbols along its shore and a granite symbol in Granite Ridge. A resource map helps people see where particular materials or food sources are found.

The maps show the same coast, but each one answers a different kind of question. A physical map can show land and water. A political map can show borders. Special-purpose maps can show one topic, such as residents, rainfall, or resources.