Physical and Political Maps Worksheet
Grade 7 analysis worksheet on physical, political, and thematic maps: students select, compare, and explain map types through scenario-based questions.
18 questions · Multiple choice · Fill in the blank · True or false · Short answer · Analysis
Physical maps reveal the shape of the land — mountains, rivers, plains, and elevation — while political maps record the boundaries and cities that human decisions have imposed on that same terrain. A thematic map goes further still, focusing on a single variable such as population density, climate, or economic output to tell a story no single-purpose map can tell alone. This worksheet asks Grade 7 students to work at the analysis level: deciding which map type fits a purpose, explaining why each is limited on its own, and evaluating what selecting or combining maps reveals about a place. No printed map accompanies the sheet; each question describes a map scenario so the student must reason from the description rather than read from a visual.
Physical and Political Maps Worksheet — Grade 7
Read each section's directions carefully, then use your knowledge of map types and geographic skills to answer every question.
Remember
- A physical map shows natural features — mountains, rivers, plains, and elevation — using color gradients and contour lines.
- A political map shows human-made boundaries such as countries, states, and capitals, but it does not depict terrain or elevation.
- A thematic map focuses on one specific variable — such as population density, climate, or income — to reveal a geographic pattern.
Part A — Select the best answer for each map skills question
Read each question and select the best answer from the four choices provided.
- 1.
A geographer needs to determine which mountain ranges separate two countries. Which type of map would best answer this question?
- A.A physical map showing elevation and landforms
- B.A political map showing national borders
- C.A thematic map showing population density
- D.A road map showing transportation routes
- 2.
A map displays the Amazon River, the Andes Mountains, and elevation across South America using color shading. What type of map is this?
- A.A political map
- B.A physical map
- C.A thematic map showing climate zones
- D.A cartogram
- 3.
To find cities along the Rhine River and trace national borders in that region, which combination of maps would serve a student best?
- A.Two physical maps drawn at different scales
- B.A physical map and a political map used together
- C.A thematic map and a road map
- D.Two political maps from different time periods
- 4.
On a political map, a thick line runs between Egypt and Sudan with no river or mountain at that location. What does the line represent?
- A.A major river
- B.An international boundary
- C.A mountain range
- D.A transportation corridor
- 5.
A map uses color shading to show which U.S. counties receive more than 40 inches of rain per year. What type of thematic map is this?
- A.A dot distribution map
- B.A choropleth map
- C.A cartogram
- D.A flow-line map
- 6.
On a map grid where row A is northernmost, a traveler moves from grid reference C4 to A4. Which cardinal direction is this?
- A.East
- B.South
- C.North
- D.West
Part B — Complete each statement with the correct geographic term
Write the correct geographic term in each blank to complete the statement.
- 7.
A map that shows countries, state boundaries, and capital cities is called a ____ map.
- 8.
The contour lines on a physical map connect points of equal ____, allowing readers to judge how steeply the land rises or falls.
- 9.
A geographer who wants to display how a variable such as literacy rate varies across different regions will choose a ____ map.
- 10.
On any map, the ____ is the tool that translates map distance into the actual distance on Earth's surface.
- 11.
The printed box that defines every symbol, color, and pattern used on a map is called the map's ____.
Part C — Decide whether each statement about map types is true or false
Write True or False; if False, write a brief correction that identifies the specific error.
- 12.
A political map of Europe is the best tool for identifying which rivers drain into the Mediterranean Sea.
- 13.
Thematic maps can display human characteristics such as language or income as well as physical data such as temperature.
- 14.
A choropleth map uses symbols of different sizes to represent quantities at specific locations, such as population at major cities.
- 15.
On a physical map, dark green typically indicates low elevation, while brown or white typically indicates high elevation or mountains.
Part D — Answer each question in your own words with full explanation
Answer each question in two to three complete sentences, explaining your reasoning fully.
- 16.
Explain why a city planner designing a highway route would need both a physical map and a political map, rather than either one alone.
- 17.
A thematic map shades U.S. states by percentage of enslaved people in 1860. What does this pattern reveal about sectional tension?
- 18.
Explain why a hiker planning a mountain trail would prefer a map scaled at 10 miles per inch over one scaled at 100 miles per inch.
Answer key
Part A — Select the best answer for each map skills question
- 1.A physical map showing elevation and landforms
- 2.A physical map
- 3.A physical map and a political map used together
- 4.An international boundary
- 5.A choropleth map
- 6.North
Part B — Complete each statement with the correct geographic term
- 7.political
- 8.elevation
- 9.thematic
- 10.scale
- 11.legend
Part C — Decide whether each statement about map types is true or false
- 12.False - a physical map is the best tool for identifying river courses and drainage patterns.
- 13.True
- 14.False - a choropleth map uses color shading to show data ranges by region; a proportional symbol map uses differently sized symbols.
- 15.True
Part D — Answer each question in your own words with full explanation
- 16.Example: A physical map would reveal the mountains, valleys, and rivers the highway must cross, but it would not show existing city boundaries or jurisdictional limits that affect where construction is permitted. A political map would show city limits and administrative divisions but would omit the terrain features that determine construction difficulty and cost. Together, the two maps allow the planner to assess both the physical obstacles and the political boundaries that shape any realistic route.
- 17.Example: The map shows that states in the Deep South had the highest concentrations of enslaved people, reflecting an economy built on plantation agriculture that depended on enslaved labor on a massive scale. States in the North show little or no shading, creating a stark geographic divide between the two regions. This concentration meant that Southern states had a powerful economic interest in preserving an institution that Northern states increasingly opposed, deepening the sectional tension that contributed to the Civil War.
- 18.Example: A map at 10 miles per inch covers a smaller area but shows far greater detail, including individual ridges, valleys, stream crossings, and elevation changes that a hiker must navigate safely. A map at 100 miles per inch shows the entire mountain range at a glance but cannot display the fine-scale terrain features needed for planning a safe and accurate route. Because precise information about the path ahead matters more than a broad overview, the more detailed scale is the more useful tool for a hiker on the ground.
What this sheet teaches
- Distinguish between physical, political, and thematic maps and explain what each type conveys.
- Select the most appropriate map type for a given geographic purpose and justify that choice.
- Evaluate how combining physical and political map data produces a more complete geographic picture.
Notes for the adult
- Students often assume political maps show terrain; clarify that boundaries are human decisions, not physical features of the land.
- When a student confuses choropleth and dot maps, draw the contrast: shading covers an area, while dots mark individual locations.
- A student is ready to advance when they spontaneously name the correct map type for a new scenario and explain the trade-off involved.
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