Cartographic skills (atlas, OS map, grid references)

Cartographic skills appear in every paper. AQA expects you to read atlases for global patterns, OS maps (1:25 000 Explorer and 1:50 000 Landranger) for UK detail, and to convert between text descriptions and map locations.

Atlas skills

Use an atlas for:

• Global locations — naming countries, capitals, rivers, mountain ranges.
• World maps showing distributions — climate zones, plate boundaries, urbanisation.
• Index — every place name listed alphabetically with grid coordinates and page reference.

Latitude (horizontal lines, 0–90° N or S) and longitude (vertical lines, 0–180° E or W) locate any point. London is approximately 51° N, 0° W.

OS maps — direction and scale

• Compass directions: 8-point (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW) or 16-point precision.
• Bearings — measure clockwise from North. 000° = N, 090° = E, 180° = S, 270° = W.
• Scale — 1:25 000 means 1 cm on map = 25 000 cm = 250 m on the ground; 1:50 000 means 1 cm = 500 m.
• Linear scale — printed on the bottom of every OS sheet.
• Distance — measure with string or paper edge along a winding road; transfer to scale.

Grid references

OS maps cover eastings (east–west) and northings (north–south). Always read east before north — "along the corridor, up the stairs."

• 4-figure grid reference (4FGR) — names the bottom-left of a 1 × 1 km square. e.g. 3852 = easting 38, northing 52.
• 6-figure grid reference (6FGR) — divides each square into 10 × 10. Add the tenths to each coordinate. 385527 = 38.5 east, 52.7 north — accurate to 100 m.

Learn the order: eastings then northings, two digits then three digits.

Contour lines and relief

• Contour line — line of equal height above sea level.
• Contour interval — usually 5 m (1:25 000) or 10 m (1:50 000).
• Spacing — close = steep slope, wide = gentle slope.
• V-shaped contours point uphill (riverbanks) or downhill (spur tip).

Relief = the shape of the land. Reading relief from contours:

• Hill — concentric closed contours, peak in centre.
• Valley — V-shaped contours pointing upstream.
• Plateau — wide gap between contours, then sudden cluster (escarpment).
• Cliff — contours so close they merge.

A spot height (numbered triangle) gives the precise summit elevation.

Cross-section / transect drawing

Mark a straight line on the map. Where each contour crosses, drop a perpendicular onto a graph (height vs distance). Join the points smoothly. The result shows the relief shape.

Common OS symbols

• PH / Inn — pub
• NT — National Trust
• Footpath — pink dashed line
• Bridleway — green dashed
• Picnic site — table icon
• Power line — straight black line with kicks
• Church with tower / spire — square / circle
• Triangulation point — small triangle ▲

Memorise common symbols — examiners often ask "what symbol represents…?"

Examiner tips

• Always check whether the question wants 4FGR or 6FGR.
• For bearings, double-check your start point and end point — examiners take direction errors seriously.
• For relief, describe the slope direction (e.g. "land rises to NE from 50 m to 250 m").
• When measuring distance along a winding road, use paper edge not ruler — pivot at each bend.