Reading Maps and Geographic Features

The four tools every map gives you

Before you answer a single question, find these four features. They are usually tucked into a corner of the map, and they unlock everything else.

• The legend (or key) explains what each colour, line, and symbol means. A blue line might be a river, a black dot a city, a dashed line a border. Never guess a symbol, check the legend.
• The scale tells you how distance on the map relates to real distance on the ground. A scale bar showing "1 cm = 100 km" means every centimetre you measure stands for 100 real kilometres.
• The compass (compass rose) shows direction. Maps are usually drawn with north at the top, but always check, the compass confirms it.
• Symbols and labels mark specific places: a star for a capital city, a dot for other cities, names for provinces, lakes, and rivers.

Cardinal directions: N, E, S, W

The four main, or cardinal, directions are North, East, South, and West. Going clockwise from the top, they spell "NEWS," which is an easy way to remember the order.

Between them sit the intermediate directions: northeast (NE), southeast (SE), southwest (SW), and northwest (NW). So a city that is up and to the right of another city is to its northeast.

Political maps vs. physical maps

The CAEC may show you either kind, so it helps to know what each one is built to display.

A quick way to tell them apart: if the map is mostly about who governs where, it is political; if it is mostly about what the land itself looks like, it is physical.

Canada's provinces, territories, and regions

Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories. A key difference: provinces have their own powers under the Constitution, while the territories receive their authority from the federal government in Parliament.

On a map of Canada, the territories run across the far north, the Prairies sit in the middle of the west, and the Atlantic provinces cluster in the east. Knowing roughly where each region sits makes direction questions much faster.

Worked example: reading a schematic map

Here is a simplified map. It is not drawn to perfect scale, it is a schematic, meaning it shows the relationships between places rather than exact shapes. Study the legend, the scale bar, and the compass, then we'll answer a question about it.

Question: In which direction would you travel to go from Maple City to Pine Town?

Tips that make map questions easier

• Read the legend first. Spend a few seconds learning the symbols before you look for the answer. It prevents mixing up a river with a border or a capital with a regular city.
• Find north before judging direction. Check the compass. If north is at the top (it usually is), then up is north, right is east, down is south, and left is west.
• Use the scale only for distance questions. Measure the gap between two points, then multiply using the scale. Don't bother with the scale for "which direction" or "what is this symbol" questions.
• Answer only what the map shows. Stick to what you can actually see on the map. Avoid adding outside assumptions that the map does not support.

Your turn: practice questions

Use the schematic map above and what you have learned. Try each question before checking your answer.

1. On the schematic map, in which direction is Birch Village from Maple City?
2. On the scale bar, 2 cm stands for 50 km. If two towns are 6 cm apart on the map, how far apart are they in real life?
3. A map shows mountain ranges, rivers, and elevation by colour, but no province borders or capitals. Is it a political map or a physical map?