Maps are made for many reasons, and as a result, maps are of many kinds. Some made for general purposes may show roads, towns and cities, rivers and lakes, parks, and State and local boundaries. One example of such a versatile map, or base map , is the 1938 topographic map of Oswald Dome, Tennessee. Other maps are much more specific, conveying information primarily on a single topic. The 1989 earthquake map of the United States is a good example of a special-purpose map, or thematic map .
Every map is made for a purpose and serves that purpose best.
The history of civilization has been illustrated by maps- battle maps by soldiers, exploration maps by empire builders, thematic maps by scientists. By modern convention, and for no scientific reason, modern maps are usually oriented with north at the top. But Al Idrisi's 1154 world map shows the Arabian Peninsula in the top center of the map, with south at the top. Contrast this map with the 1452 Leardo world map. Different societies in different places literally have different perspectives, which may result from differences in physical geography, language, religion, cultural values and traditions, and history.