Map Reading

The National Grid The sub zone letters helps us to know which part of Ireland the map extract is from.

Grid References Give the sub zone letter first Give the reading for the Easting's. These are the numbers across the bottom. Give the readings for the northings these are numbers up the side.

How to Calculate Area Count the number of grid squares along the bottom of the map. Count the number of grid squares along the side of the map. Multiply the two totals. Your answer is in Square Kilometres as each square is one square Km On some maps you may have to measure along the bottom and up the side where there is not a regular amount of grid squares

Finding the area of Water Count the number of All sea boxes Count the number of boxes with more than 50% sea area Ignore the ones that have less than 50% sea in them Add your totals from 1 and 2 and you have the answer

There are two types of Distances. Measuring Distance There are two types of Distances. Straight line distance between two points. (As the crow flies) Curved distance. e.g. a road or river.

Scale Scale is represented in three ways A Statement of Scale 2cm=1Km A line with Kms marked on it Representative Fraction 1:50 000 One centimetre on the map equals 50,000 on the ground

Straight Line Distance To measure this distance, place the edge of a piece of paper on the two points and mark the paper. Now place the paper’s edge on the linear scale and read off the distance.

Curved Line distance To measure a curved distance we again use the edge of the paper. We break the curved distance into a series of straight lines marking each straight line section on the papers edge by turning the paper. Now place this on the linear scale and read of the distance.

Sketch Maps Draw the frame – it must be the same shape as the map but can be a different size Only mark in what you are asked for Give the map a title Mark in the North symbol ^N Make a Key to show what the things you mark on the map are

Direction Directions are given by the compass points

Settlement There are three types of settlement Ancient Rural Urban

Ancient Settlement This is shown by the use of Red lettering or by Symbols Other terms indicating Ancient settlement include Fort; Rath; Cashel- All circular stone forts and sites of Ancient dwelling places. Megalithic tomb, dolmen – Stone age Tombs.

Rural Settlement Linear – Dwellings arranged in a straight line. For example houses in a line along a road. Nucleated – Settlement that is arranged in bunches or groups of dwellings. Sometimes referred to “clustered” Dispersed – Dwellings that are scattered over an area with no obvious pattern

Urban Settlement (Towns and Cities) To describe the location of a town you should refer to its: Relief- Its altitude (how high is the town) Drainage – It’s the town near a river. Communication – The type and number of roads also any other types of communication e.g. – Canal, Rail, River.

Height Height is represented on the map in three ways: Colour – Green areas are lowland and sandy coloured areas are high land. Spot Heights – Heights of the highest peaks are marked as spot heights or trigonometrical points. Contour lines - A contour line is a line joining all places of the same height. Contour lines show the height shape and slope of an area.

Drainage How to describe a River To describe a River you should state The Name of the river. Where it rises (or enters the map extract) Where it enters the sea or lake. (or leaves the map extract) Its direction of flow. How many tributaries it has( wither it has many or few) If possible name some features formed by the river e.g..Meander, or bow lake etc. Whether the river is eroding or depositing.

Patterns Of Drainage Recognise the following patterns of drainage. Dendritic Radial Trellis

Human Geography On Maps Communication. Settlement. Land use.

Communication The main types of communication are 1 - Roads 2 - Railways 3 - Canals Roads are the most important. Blue – Motorway Green – National Primary roads Green/White – National Secondary Roads Orange – Regional Roads Yellow – Third Class roads

How to describe roads in a Region To do this you should answer the following questions: 1 - Are there many Roads. Why? 2 - Are the roads national, primary or secondary. 3 - Are they straight or winding. You should explain your answer with Reference to Relief Roads will avoid mountains. Often they will run along river valleys Drainage Roads avoid floodplains lakes and marshes.

Function What Services are provided in the town. E.g. Defence - Castle Port – Built on the sea Health – Hospital Education - School

Physical Geography in Map Reading 1- Relief 2-Drainage 1 Relief This means the shape of the land. Maps can have all or some of the following: (A) Coast (B) Lowland (C)Upland/Highland

How to describe Relief (A) Coast Where is ton the map? In what direction does it run? Is it an upland or lowland coast? Identifity with grid reference and erosional or depositional features eg- Beach which are evident.

(B) Lowland – upland – Highland Say where it is on the map. Its area – is it small or large? Its approximate height. What has shaped the region e.g. Rivers, Glacial. Identify features .e.g. Meanders ,flood plains ,v shaped Valleys using grid References.