Mrs.

Slovinsky Geography 20F Mapping Skills

Name: _________________________________ Period: ______ Date: __________ Mark: ________/24

Direction: Reading and Understanding Direction on Maps

The Compass Rose

N
• A compass rose is an ____________________________ used to indicate which way is
_______________.
• Sometimes, this is just an ____________________________to indicate which way is
north
• Sometimes, the compass rose is more _______________ and can show up to ___________ directions

Categories of Directions
• There are at least three different categories of directions: _______________, _______________, and
_______________ directions

Cardinal Directions
• Divide the circle in half vertically, and again, horizontally.
• Label the four directions
• These four directions are the ____________________________directions, with __________________
______________________________________.
1. North
2. South
3. West and East

Ordinal Directions
• Divide each quadrant in half and label the new directions.
• These ordinal directions are the secondary directions.
• They are named by __________________________________________________; the
more_______________ name first, followed by the _______________ name.

Tertiary Directions
• Finally, divide the wedges in half again and label the new directions.
• The names of the labels follow the ______________________________ as for ordinal directions.

Compass Bearings
• Compass bearings are the _______________ that correspond to the _______________ of each
directions as measured _______________ in relation to _______________.
• The direction “east” is at a 90 degree angle from the direction “north”, so the bearing is
____________ degrees, or ____________
• The direction “west” is at a 270 degree angle from north (remember it is measured clockwise),
so the bearing is __________degrees, or __________.
Mrs. Slovinsky Geography 20F Mapping Skills

• Calculate the bearing of each of the directions listed.

 Mrs. Slovinsky Geography 20F Mapping Skills

Direction Practice

Use your Introductory Map of Canada and the map on the inside cover of your text to answer the following
questions.

Write the letter “C” next to the CARDINAL POINTS, the letter “O” next to the ORDINAL POINTS, and the letter “T”
next to the TERTIARY POINTS. (2.5 marks)
_____ North northwest
_____ Southeast
_____ South southwest
_____ North
_____ East

Using the CARDINAL DIRECTIONS only, answer the following 8 questions. Please circle the correct answer.
1. Toronto is (north, south, west, east) of Winnipeg. (.5 mark)
2. Vancouver is (north, south, west, east) of Winnipeg. (.5 mark)
3. Baffin Island is (north, south, west, east) of Ungava Peninsula. (.5 mark)
4. The Hudson Bay is (north, south, west, east) of Great Slave Lake. (.5 mark)
5. The Rocky Mountains are (north, south, west, east) of Manitoba. (.5 mark)
6. Saskatchewan is (north, south, west, east)of Alberta. (.5 mark)
7. Ontario is (north, south, west, east) of Quebec. (.5 mark)
8. In which direction does the Red River flow? (north, south, west, east) (.5 mark)
9. Number the following cities in the correct order from west to east, where #1 is the most westerly. (2.5
marks)
______ Quebec City
______ Fredericton
______ Edmonton
______ Winnipeg
______ Victoria
10. Which province in just west of Saskatchewan? (.5 mark) __________________________________________
11. If you were travelling from Portage la Prairie to Churchill, which tertiary direction would you be going? (.5
mark) __________________________________________________________________________________
12. Which province has the most southerly land area? (.5 mark) ______________________________________
13. What is our easternmost province? (.5 mark) ___________________________________________________
14. What cardinal direction are the territories in relation to the rest of Canada? (.5 mark) __________________
15. What territory is North of Saskatchewan? (.5 mark) ______________________________________________
16. What country is south of Canada? (.5 mark) ____________________________________________________
17. What ordinal direction is Hamilton from Ottawa? (.5 mark) ________________________________________
18. What tertiary direction is Portage la Prairie, Manitoba from Cambridge Bay (Ikaluktutiak), Nunavut? (.5 mark)
___________________________________________________________________________________
19. If you were flying a plane from Thompson to Portage la Prairie, what compass bearing would you be
following? (Remember to follow the line of longitude for direction.) (.5 mark) _________________________
20. Which major Canadian city is at a bearing of 180° from Red Deer, Alberta? (.5 mark) ____________________
Use the political map of the world on the inside front cover of the atlas to answer the next 6 questions.
21. Using cardinal directions only, describe the geographic relationship of Congo to the Democratic Republic of
Congo. (1 mark) ___________________________________________________________________________
 Mrs. Slovinsky Geography 20F Mapping Skills

22. If you were to fly from Australia to Canada as you can see them on this map, in which ordinal direction would
you be travelling? (.5 mark) ____________________________________________________________
23. Which country is just north of Bulgaria? (.5 mark) ________________________________________________
24. Using tertiary directions only, where is Mongolia located in relation to India? (Be mindful of the
prepositions!) (1 mark) _____________________________________________________________________
25. There is a small island located just east of Dominican Republic (it is green on this map). What is the name of
the island, and to which country does it belong? (1 mark)
a. Name _____________________________ b. Belongs to _____________________________
26. Not counting small islands, what country has the most southerly land mass? (.5 mark) __________________

Direction Practice Total ______/19

Application
Starting at point X on the grid below, follow the directional instructions, placing dots at each of the
INTERSECTIONS indicated. You move from instruction 1, to 2, to 3, and so on. You DO NOT start each instruction
from the X. Only the first instruction begins there. When there are two parts to the instruction, you know that
the line connecting the dots will be on an angle. As you plot the dots, connect them using a RED line. It is a
good idea to cross off each instruction as it is completed. The last instruction should take you back to your
beginning point. The first instruction has been done for you (but, of course it will show up as a black line).

1. N4, W1 2. E7 3. N1 4. W1 5. N1
6. E4 7. E1, N4 8. E2 9. S4, W1 10. E2
11. E1,N4 12. E2 13. S4, W1 14. E2 15. E1, N4
16. E2 17. S4, W1 18. E4 19. S1 20. E2
21. S1 22. E5 23. S3 24. S1, W1 25. W29
Mrs. Slovinsky Geography 20F Mapping Skills

Application Total ______/5