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• A compass is used to work out direction. A four-point compass can give a rough direction whereas a sixteen-point compass is much more precise.
• Map symbols show what can be found in an area. Each feature of the landscape has a different symbol.
• Contour lines are lines that join up areas of equal height on a map. By looking at how far apart the contour lines of an area are, we can tell how steep or flat the land is.

A map is a drawing of a place as seen from above (from a bird's eye view). The Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. This organisation produces maps of different areas of the country in great detail. These maps are commonly used by geographers. A map is essential for telling us which direction to travel in.

Direction is measured using a compass. There are three types of compass:

• A four-point compass - The four main compass points are north, east, south and west. A compass showing only these four points is a simple four-point compass.

• An eight-point compass - Sometimes things need to be more precise. To be more precise when giving directions, an eight-point compass can be used. In addition to north, east, south and west, an eight-point compass includes north-east, south-east, north-west and south-west.

• A sixteen-point compass - To be even more precise, we can use a sixteen-point compass. This includes north-north-east, east-north-east, east-south-east, south-south-east, south-south-west, west-south-west, west-north-west and north-north-west.

Maps contain a lot of information about the areas of land that they show. There are too many features to label everything using text, so we use map symbols.

Map symbols can include letters, coloured areas, pictures or lines. These symbols can be used to show the location of different features such as roads, viewpoints, bus stations, train stations, schools and post offices.

Have a look at this slideshow to see examples of map symbols used on Ordnance Survey (OS) maps.

To show height on a map, contour lines are used.

• Contour lines join areas of equal height and are shown in orange on an Ordnance Survey (OS) map.
• The number written on the contour line shows the height above sea level in metres.
• The interval between contours is usually five metres, although in mountainous regions it may be ten metres.

The distance between contour lines shows how steep or flat the land is.

• If the contour lines are very far apart, it means the land is flat.
• If the contour lines are close together, it means the land is steep.

A map may also include spot heights. These show the exact height (in metres above sea level) of a certain point on a map and are written in small black numbers.

Sometimes triangulation pillars are labelled on maps. A triangulation pillar is a concrete pillar that marks the highest part of the land. These were previously used by the OS to ensure that maps of Great Britain were as accurate as possible. They are shown on a map as a small blue triangle symbol.