Procedure Step1
Identify and carefully read the title of the map. This will help you understand the information you can expect to see on the map. Sometimes, the title tells you the date of the information that has been mapped. The map in FIGURE3 has a title that tells us it is a map of Australia showing major vegetation types. The colours in the key help us to understand the distribution of vegetation. FIGURE4 uses colour to represent average rainfall. Step2 Next, examine the key. We notice that closed forest is found in about half the area of Tasmania, in some small linear coastal tracts along parts of the east coast of mainland Australia and in the Otway region of Victoria. We could make a similar detailed description of open forest. Looking at the pattern of forests overall, we conclude that only a small area of Australia is forested — less than 10 per cent. FIGURE4 is a choropleth map that uses shades of one colour to reþect varying levels of rainfall.
FIGURE4 Average annual rainfall
Darwin
Tully
Brisbane
Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre
Perth
Sydney
Adelaide
Canberra
Melbourne
Average annual rainfall (mm)
800 to 1200
Over 2400
400 to 800
2000 to 2400 1600 to 2000
200 to 400
Hobart
0
250
500 km
Under 200
1200 to 1600
Source: Bureau of Meteorology, 2003
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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