GIS Project 1

 "Map of Los Angeles." Map of Los Angeles. Lonely Planet, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/north-america/usa/los-angeles/>.

The first map I chose is of the greater Los Angeles area. I found this map on www.lonelyplanet.com. This map gives the onlooker a general sense of the cities, waters and highways in Los Angeles, as well as cultural landmarks such as the Getty Center or Knott's Berry Farm. The reason I chose this map is because it gives me a spacial sense of where I am in Los Angeles relative to neighboring cities, the ocean and my hometown of Mission Viejo.

 http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/north-america/usa/los-angeles/

California Map Collection. "California Map Collection." Map of California. Geology.com, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://geology.com/state-map/california.shtml>.

The second map I chose displays all 58 of California's counties. I found this map on www.geology.com. This map gives the onlooker a feel for the layout of California, as well as the intriguing division amongst the counties. This map interested me because with one glance one can observe the largest county in the United States (San Bernardino) while also seeing which counties claim islands off the coast. Furthermore, it is interesting to see how there are many small counties in Northern California while there are fewer, but larger, counties in Southern California.


 http://geology.com/state-map/california.shtml

 Geology.com. ""Satellite Photo of Earth at Night"" Night Satellite Photos. NASA Images, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://geology.com/articles/satellite-photo-earth-at-night.shtml>.

The third map I chose is of the United States at night. I found this map at www.geology.com. This map clearly displays population densities across the Continental U.S. as well as Hawaii and Alaska. This map informs the viewer on where most of our population has settled and pinpoints major urban settlements (cities will generally be the brightest points). Looking further, I see that there are many dark spots on the map; I can conclude that dark regions in the Pacific West could be unpopulated due to the unfavorable living conditions or because of physical features such as the Rocky Mountains.

 http://geology.com/articles/satellite-photo-earth-at-night.shtml