Types of Maps
Explorers
More Explorers
KY Geography
KY Regions
100

This map shows the physical landscape features of a place. They generally show things like mountains, rivers and lakes and water is always shown with blue. Mountains and elevation changes are usually shown with different colors and shades to show relief.

Physical Map

100

Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea

Vasco de Gama

100

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico

Hernan Cortes

100

The mountain chain that runs through much of Eastern Kentucky

Appalachian Mountains
100

This region is the farthest west and was added to the original state

Jackson Purchase
200

This map does not show any topographic features. It instead focuses solely on the state and national boundaries of a place. They also include the locations of cities - both large and small, depending on the detail of the map.

Political Map

200

An Italian explorer who was sent by Spain to find a passage to the India. He discovered the Americas in 1492 while searching for a faster route to India but always thought he was in the Indies.

Christopher Columbus

200

French explorer who explored the St. Lawrence river

Jacques Cartier

200

The river that forms the western border of Kentucky

 Mississippi River

200

This region is named after an herb and is the largest region in the state.

Pennyroyal

300

This map uses contour lines instead of colors to show changes in the landscape. Contour lines on these maps are normally spaced at regular intervals to show elevation changes. 

Topographic Map

300

Portuguese explorer that was the first to sail around the world. His journey took 3 years and he died in a battle in the Philippines.

Ferdinand Magellan

300

Sailed to the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa in 1488

Bartholomeu Dias

300

The highest point in Kentucky

Black Mountain

300

This region is famous for hose farms and contains the two largest Kentucky cities as well as the state capital

Bluegrass

400

This map shows major and minor highways and roads (depending on detail) as well as things like airports, city locations and points of interest like parks, campgrounds and monuments.

Road Map

400

An English explorer who explored for the Dutch. He claimed the Hudson River around present-day New York.

Henry Hudson

400

Spanish explorer who conquered the Incas in what is now Peru

Francisco Pizarro

400

The largest cave system in the world

Mammoth Caves

400

This region of Kentucky is named for its landforms that resemble mountains, though they are not nearly as high

Knobs

500

This map can show things like the specific climatic zones of an area based on the temperature, the amount of snow an area receives or average number of cloudy days. These maps normally use colors to show different climatic areas.

Climate Map

500

Spanish Explorer who discovered and named Florida while searching for the "Fountain of Youth"

Juan Ponce de Leon

500

Spanish explorer who discovered and claimed the Mississippi River for Spain. He died before returning home and was buried in the Mississippi River so Native American tribes wouldn't know the leader had died.

Hernando de Soto

500

The geographical fault line that caused a devastating earthquake in 1811

New Madrid Fault Line

500

Sometimes called the Appalachian Plateau, this region contains a section of the Appalachian Mountains

Appalachian Plateau

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