MAP READING TEST Q/A

Q. What is a map?

A map is a bird’s eye view of a piece of land drawn to scale showing physical features, man-made
features and relief information.

Q. What is Map Reading?

Map reading is the correct interpretation of the information contained on a map.

Q. What are the key features found on a map.

Physical features – (any vegetation & water features) woodland; forest; rivers; ponds; streams etc
Manmade features – (anything created by man ) buildings; roads; bridges; gullies.
Relief Information – (any feature that determines the formation of the land)
ridges; saddles; spurs; re-entrants; valleys; hills; slopes.

Q. List four (04) items found in the marginal information of a map.

Sheet Name / Title -

Sheet Number -
Edition Number -
Adjoining Sheets Diagram –
Legend / Key -
Scale -

Q. What is marginal information?

The instructions that are placed around the outer edges of the map.

Q. Define the bar scale/graphic scale including the parts that make it up.
A graphic scale is a ruler printed on the map against which, distances on the map
may be measured as actual ground distances.

b. Primary Scale, Extention Scale.

Q. Define a SCALE?
A scale can be defined as the ratio of a unit distance measured on the map to the corresponding distance
measured on the ground in the same units of measurement.

Q. The paper strip method is the more accurate of the two methods of measuring distances on
a map. True or False? (TRUE)

Q. The scale of the map can be shown in various ways list them:

As a statement (i.e. one centimetre to one kilometre)

As a representative fraction (1/50,000)
As a scale line ( usually shown on all maps)
Q. What is a grid?

A grid is a system of numbered SQUARES printed on a map which forms

the basis for map references.

Q. List the most commonly used types of grid references?

4 FIG, 6 FIG and 8 FIG GR REF

Q. Define the following terms:

TRUE NORTH: This is the direction of the geographic north pole and is very rarely used in map
reading
MAGNETIC NORTH: This is the direction of the magnetic north pole, and is the direction that the
compass needle will point to.
GRID NORTH: This is the direction indicated by the direction that the Eastings point to on the map.

Q. What do the following 5 basic colours represent on a map:

A. BLUE - All water features
B. GREEN Vegetation; blue and green area symbols may be combined
when necessary to represent, mangrove or swamps.
C. BROWN contours, sand

D. BLACK All outlines, railways and cultural details. But may be used in
conjunction with other colours
E. RED Roads (major) & highways.

Q. What are contour lines?

contour line is an imaginary line drawn through all points on the ground of the same height above datum
plane, usually mean sea level

Q. Label the Light Weight Compass below.

Q. Label the ROMER below.

Q. Describe how the contour lines of a convex slope would appear on a map.
Contour lines widely spaced at the top and closely spaced at the bottom indicate a convex slope.
Q. What is contour variation?
The vertical distance between adjacent contour lines.

Q. What is index contours?

Every fifth contour line that is drawn with a heavier line.
Q. What is intermediate contour?
The contour lines falling between index contours
Q. Define the following land features:

SPUR A spur is a projection of high ground from a ridge into a valley

RE-ENTRANT A re-entrant is the low ground between two spurs.

RIDGE A ridge occurs where two slopes are inclined towards each other to form a long narrow hill-
top.
SADDLE A saddle is a ridge between two summits
KNOLL A knoll is a small isolated hill on a plain or plateau
VALLEY A valley is the low ground between two ridges and usually has a river or a stream flowing
along its lowest line or floor.
CLIFF: A cliff is a vertical or near vertical feature. It is an abrupt change of the land with a
slope so steep that contour lines are very close together and in some instances, touching each other.
Q. Draw the contour lines for the following land features:
A. Ridge
 B. SADDLE

C. KNOLL

D. VALLEY

E. RE-ENTERING

Q. What are the two main method of measuring distance?

Grid lines and the Paper strip method.

Q. List and explain things to consider when orientating the map without a compass.
(The Inspection Method)

DIRECTION : on a oriented map, map and ground direction must agree ie

if on the map you see a bridge (direction) left when you look (direction)
left you should see that bridge according to the distance and contours.
DISTANCE: compare real distance to map distances.
CONVENTIONAL SIGNS: is the object shown on the map by a conventional sign.
NEARNESS: is the object near something else located on the map. If we
are looking for a town near a reservoir, look on the map for a reservoir,
and then find the town.
 LINES: Are objects in line with known points on the map.(pylon lines)
RELIEF: Does the ground agree with the contours of the map.
SHAPES: Can distinctive shapes be found on the map. Any thing that stands out.
This could be a `y` shaped wood land, a road junction, river bends, road bends, a steep hill etc.

Q. How many points of the compass are used for the description of direction?

The Cardinal Points (The Points of the Compass)

North, east, south and west are the four (04) cardinal points of the compass. (There are in all 32 points
of the compass, but only 16 of them are normally used for the description of direction)
Q. What is the conversion rate for mils to degrees?
17.78MIL = 1 DEGREE

Q. What is the Grid Magnetic Angle (G.M.A)?

Is the difference between the direction of magnetic north and grid north.

Q. What is a bearing?

A bearing is the angle (always measured in a clockwise direction) that a line makes with a defined zero
(0) line. (The zero line is usually north, unless some other zero line sated).

Q. What is back bearing?

A back bearing gives the direction from the point A back to the point of observation P.

Q. What are Eastings and Northings?

EASTINGS are lines which run vertically on a map and advance numerically to the
East.

NORTHINGS are lines which run horizontally on a map and advance numerically
to the North.

Q. What is a re-section?

The location of the user’s unknown position by sighting on two or three known features.

Q. When using the map and a compass, list the steps used to find your location if you are lost.

STAGES

1. Use your light weight compass to locate magnetic north.

2. Ensure the compass card north pointer and the compass needle both
point to north.

3. Place your compass on the map ensuring that the orienting lines run
parallel to the Eastings on the map.
 Q. Give another name for the GMA.

A. Magnetic Variation.

Q. What is the difference between Grid and Magnetic Bearing?

A magnetic bearing is taken with a compass on the ground. This uses magnetic north and has no place
on the map.

A grid bearing is taken from a map and uses grid north. This cannot be put onto a compass and used,
because it does not use magnetic north as a compass does.

Q. Spot elevations / Spot heights: Spot heights are located to indicate ground height in ruling
positions such as tops of hills, bottoms of valleys, ridge points and saddles.

Trigonometric stations: Trigonometrical stations usually show the height of ground level to the
nearest whole unit.

Bench Marks: Bench marks appear only on large scale maps and plans as a symbol with a height
value stated to one or two places of decimal. The stated height is to the actual mark – not to ground
level. However the marks are rarely more than a metre above ground level.

Examples of the above mentioned:

Q. Define the following.

1) Datum plane. This is a reference from which vertical measurements are taken. The datum plane for
most maps is mean or average sea level.

2) Elevation. This is defined as the height (vertical distance) of an object above or below a datum plane
(mean sea level).

3) Relief. Relief is the representation of the shape and height of landforms and the characterization of the
earth’s surface.