Chapter 1: Map Basics

Question 1

What is a map in its most basic form?

Answer 1

A map is a symbolic picture of a place.

Question 2

A measurement east and west is called _____ .

Answer 2

Longitude

Question 3

_______ is measured from 0° to 180°, both east and west, starting at the Greenwich meridian running through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, near London, England.

Answer 3

Longitude

Question 4

A measurement north or south is called ______.

Answer 4

Latitude

Question 5

______ is measured from 0° to 90°, north and south, from the equator.

Answer 5

Latitude

Question 6

Each degree of longitude or latitude is divided into 60 units called ______.

Answer 6

Minutes

Question 7

What do you call the ratio between measurements on a map and distance in the real world?

Answer 7

The ratio is referred to as scale and it is commonly expressed as a map measurement with a ground measurement, I.e. 1:24,000

Question 8

______ maps attempt to show terrain in three dimensions by using various shades of green, gray, and brown, terrain sketching, and raised surfaces.

Answer 8

Relief

They help in visualizing the ups and downs of the landscape and have some value in trip planning.

Question 9

Why are land management and recreation maps useful?

Answer 9

Land management and recreation maps, published by the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, other government agencies, and timber companies, are frequently updated and thus are very useful for current details on roads, trails, ranger stations, and other works of the human hand.

Question 10

What is a sketch map?

Answer 10

Sketch maps tend to be crudely drawn but often make up in specialized route detail what they lack in draftsmanship. Such drawings can be effective supplements to other map and guidebook information.

Question 11

Why are topographical maps essential to off-trail travel?

Answer 11

Topographic maps are the best of all for wilderness travelers. They depict topography, the shape of Earth’s surface, by showing contour lines that represent constant elevations above and below sea level.

Question 12

A 7.5 minute map covers ______ degrees of latitude.

Answer 12

1/8 degree of latitude

Question 13

What kind of map is the standard inside the United States?

Answer 13

The 7.5-minute map is the standard for the contiguous United States and Hawaii and is the most commonly used type for wilderness travelers in the United States outside of Alaska.

Question 14

What is the scale on a 7.5 minute map?

Answer 14

The scale is 1:24,000, or roughly 2.5 inches to the mile, or 4 centimeters (cm) to the kilometer (km).

Question 15

Why is the 15 minute map used in Alaska?

Answer 15

The 15-minute map is the standard only for Alaska, due to its immense size.

Question 16

What is the scale of a 15 minute map?

Answer 16

The scale is 1:63,360, or exactly 1 inch to 1 mile, or 1.6 cm to 1 km.

Question 17

A 7.5 minute map covers what approximate area?

Answer 17

Each map covers an area of approximately 6 by 9 miles (9 by 14 km), and the UTM squares are one kilometer (km) on a side.

this contradicts the slides:
71⁄2-minute map
– 1:24,000 scale
– 1 mi ≈ 2.64”
– Map width ≈ 12 km ≈ 7.4 mi
– Map height ≈ 14 km ≈ 8.6 mi

Question 18

What does it mean when a map is described as being a 7.5 minute map?

Answer 18

Each map is referred to as a quadrangle (or quad) and covers an area bounded on the north and south by latitude lines that differ by an amount equal to the map series (7.5 minutes or 15 minutes) and on the east and west by longitude lines that differ by the same amount