Final answer:
A physical map represents geographical features and natural landmarks, while a political map shows the human-created divisions such as countries and cities. Physical maps are used for understanding geography and genetic distances, whereas political maps help analyze political boundaries.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main difference between a physical map and a political map is what they represent. A physical map focuses on the geography of an area, showing natural features like rivers, mountains, and lakes. It provides details such as the physical distance between genetic markers, including the number of nucleotides. Techniques like cytogenetic mapping, radiation hybrid mapping, and sequence mapping are used to create physical maps. On the other hand, a political map illustrates how humans have divided the surface of the Earth into countries, states, cities, and other political units. It highlights man-made boundaries and can be useful for understanding voting patterns or the distribution of political power, helping us to analyze the human processes that lead to the formation of these borders.
For instance, when comparing political boundaries, natural physical geographic features often play a significant role. Political boundaries frequently correspond with natural features, which can be easily identified in physical maps. Understanding these features can help infer the physical and human processes that lead to the creation of such boundaries.