Map Reading and Interpretation: notes

Scale, Distance and Direction

• Scale: a scale of 1 : 50 000 means 1 cm on the map is 50 000 cm (500 m) on the ground.
• Distance: measure with a ruler or a strip of paper, then multiply by the scale. For a winding road, lay a string along it.
• Direction: read compass points from north. A bearing is measured clockwise from north, in three figures, for example 045 degrees.

Grid References and Relief

• Four figure reference: eastings first, then northings ("along the corridor, then up the stairs"). It names a whole square.
• Six figure reference: add a tenth of a square in each direction to name a point.
• Contours: lines joining places of equal height. Close together means steep; far apart means gentle.
• Gradient: vertical interval divided by horizontal distance, in the same units.
• Intervisibility: two points can see each other if no higher ground lies between them on a cross section.

Globe

• Latitude: lines parallel to the Equator, measured in degrees north or south. Zimbabwe lies about 15 to 22 degrees south.
• Longitude: lines from pole to pole. The earth turns 15 degrees every hour, so 1 hour of time is 15 degrees of longitude.