Physical-- Natural features
Political--Boundaries between countries, states, and so on
Topographic-- Contour lines of elevation
Thematic-- Emphasis on one or two attributes, such as language
Each type of mapping provides varying information regarding the world. Political and Thematic maps are typically used for the social sciences and aid in understanding how people have grouped up. Physical and Topographic maps are used by the sciences and geographers. These maps show the details of nature and the environment of regions.