Uses
Maps and atlases are used by common men as well as specialists both for work and pleasure. Varied uses of maps and atlases depend on their types. We shall first describe various types of maps, and then explain their uses.
Topographic and the thematic maps are used by professional people. Central and local government staff require them for a variety of administrative purposes, viz., town and country planning. Commercial and industrial firms require them for transport, prospecting and setting up of depots, factories, and offices. Students and research workers refer to maps to get information related to geography, history, geology, demography, land use, archaeology and topography. They also devise their own maps for their theses and reports.
The class lecture can be supplemented by the use of maps and globes. Particularly in schools, visual demonstration of maps, atlases and globes to teach geography and history will be very efficient. In libraries, they assist in answering various geographical queries, advising patrons in making their travel plans and young users in enriching their general knowledge. Therefore, maps and atlases which contain a wide variety of information are useful to all kinds of people in the society.