A paper map is a precision instrument. These are the conventions that make it one.
A topographic map contains more information per square centimetre than almost any other printed document, and nearly all of it is conventional rather than obvious. The spacing of contour lines, the colour of a symbol, the number under a small black dot: each is a code with a fixed meaning that has to be learned once and then never again. These questions cover the parts that matter when you are outdoors with the sheet in your hands — orienting it, taking a bearing, giving a grid reference precise enough for someone else to find you. The explanations include the numbers, because in navigation the numbers are the point.
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
Play it insteadAnswer: D. How steep the ground is
Why: The vertical gap between lines, the contour interval, is fixed for the whole sheet. Evenly spaced lines mean a constant gradient, and lines that merge indicate a cliff.
Answer: C. True north and magnetic north
Why: It varies from place to place and drifts over years, so maps print both the value and its annual change. In some regions it is under a degree; in others it exceeds twenty.
Answer: B. 100 metres
Why: The first two digits of each half identify the square and the third splits it into tenths. Adding a fourth digit to each half narrows it to ten metres.
Answer: A. Turn it so that its north matches north on the ground
Why: With the sheet turned, features to your left appear on the left of the map. Laying a compass along the map's north lines does the job in seconds.
Answer: D. A number of degrees measured clockwise from north
Why: Zero and 360 both mean north, and 090 is due east. Bearings are spoken as three figures so that 040 cannot be confused with anything else.
Answer: C. To hold a theodolite at a precisely known fixed point
Why: Sightings between pillars built a network of triangles across the whole country from the 1930s onwards. Satellite positioning has since retired almost all of them from survey work.
Answer: B. Water features
Why: Green usually marks vegetation and brown marks contours and landform. The legend is the only reliable guide, since these conventions differ between countries.
Answer: A. A point printed with its exact elevation
Why: It appears as a small dot with a number beside it, often between two contour lines. Summits usually carry one whether or not a contour line reaches the top.
Answer: D. They may be drawn to different tidal levels
Why: Many national series draw the coast at mean high water while others use low water. Measured length also depends on scale, because a finer map records more of the small irregularities.
Answer: C. Walkers, horse riders and cyclists
Why: Cyclists on them must give way to horses and to people on foot. A public footpath is for walkers alone, while a byway is open to vehicles.
The ground beneath your feet is moving, slowly but relentlessly. One idea — plate tectonics — explains earthquakes, volcanoes…
7 min readEach correct answer awards 10 XP. There is zero point penalty for incorrect guesses, encouraging learning through exploration.
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