What is map reading and how to read a map?

2024-10-26 11:00:17

By : JSB Market Research

In : BLOG

Is map reading a lost art? In this digital era, people hardly use an actual map to reach a destination. But do you know it is actually a skill to read a map? Not everyone can do it accurately.

If you do not know map reading, you can read this complete blog and learn basic map reading skills. Especially if you love going to trekking, hiking, camping, exploring different locations, or any other outdoor activity.

What is Map?

A map is a symbolic representation of a location or just any destination you want to reach. It is how a place is seen from above. Maps usually show more than just the landscape, including highways, rivers, houses, trees, and lakes.

A map can help you plan your journey precisely by displaying landmarks, scenic views, and travelling distance.

Why should you learn map reading?

Today, students struggle with map reading after the advent of Google Maps and many other apps. Map reading is the skill of interpreting geographic information on a map. While digital maps are available on your smartphones, they cannot match the accuracy of a real map.

You can rely on paper maps to get you where you need to go because they don't require batteries or lose signals like cell phones and GPS gadgets do.

Ways to be better at map reading

Let’s learn some important elements of the map.

Legend: Legends, often in the shape of a triangle, are the keys that let you know how to interpret the symbols on the maps. These symbols differ from country to country.
Title: Like the name says, title is the main description of a map, like “Map of India” or “Map of the United States of America.”
Orientation: A map isn’t of any use if you do not know where on the map you are. A little arrow-shaped icon with an "N" below indicates direction, and most cartographers (map makers) orient their maps so that the top of the page shows north.
Scale: The manageable size so that you carry a map easily. Many cartographers use ratios to reduce the map size and make it pocket-friendly. A scale shows what ratio is being used and the equivalent measurement. Like, 1 inch is equal to 100 miles. Every map has a different scale. The scale will be bigger for small regions and smaller for large regions.
Color: The legend of a map describes its colors, regardless of whether it is political, physical, thematic, or general. For example, brown for hills, dark green for low or below sea level areas, and white/gray for high elevation areas. A political map, which exclusively shows national and state borders or boundaries, divides states and nations using a variety of colors.
Contour lines: Contour lines depict the elevation of the ground. They are used to show mountains, rivers, and valleys. They are straight, curved, or a mixture of both. These lines have numbers on them and are thin, orange, or brown. The number indicates the elevation above sea level.
Neatlines: It is the border of the map. It helps to define the map's edge and keeps things organized. Cartographers can also use neatlines to establish offsets, which are mini-maps that show places that are not inside the bounds of the map or that are magnified.

How to use a compass?

Get your compass, hold it flat at waist height, and rotate it until the red needle is over the orienting arrow and meets the word N. The black end points to the south and the red end points to the north.

Iron and steel objects may affect compass readings, so when using your compass, be sure to avoid and watch out for items like cell phones, belt buckles, pocket knives, and other similar items.

Once the compass shows the north direction, move in that direction, and you are all set to go.