geographical skills

Question 1

What is latitude?

Answer 1

Latitude runs horizontally, left and right around the Earth (——–)
They measure how far north or sound from the equator a location is.

Question 2

What is longitude?

Answer 2

Longitude runs vertically down and up the Earth (/ / / /)

They measure how far east or west from the Prime Meridian a location is.

Question 3

What is the Prime Meridian?

Answer 3

Prime Meridian is a line of longitude at 0 degrees E/W and runs through Greenwich in London.

Question 4

What is the equator?

Answer 4

The equator is a line of latitude at 0 degrees N/S.

Question 5

In what order do you write the coordinates of a country? (in terms of longitude and latitude)

Answer 5

___ degrees N/S, ____ degrees E/W

Question 6

What is the Tropic of Cancer?

Answer 6

The Tropic of Cancer is a line of latitude between 23-24 degrees N. It is the most northern point where the sun is directly overhead.

Question 7

What is the Tropic of Capricorn?

Answer 7

The Tropic of Capricorn is a line of latitude between 23-24 degrees S. It is the most southern point where the sun is directly overhead.

Question 8

What is the Northern Hemisphere?

Answer 8

The Northern Hemisphere is all of the areas north (above) the equator. It is colder, has a larger proportion of the population there and has a smaller surface area of water than the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 9

What is the Southern Hemisphere?

Answer 9

The Southern Hemisphere is all of the areas south (below) the equator. It is hotter, has a smaller proportion of the population there and has a larger surface area of water than the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 10

What should you include in a ‘explain the distribution of ____ in this map’ question?

Answer 10

describing distributions on maps

• general pattern (what occurs most) and their location
• anomalies (if any) and their location
• if ‘explain’, then say why you think this has happened

Question 11

What should you do when describing locations?

Answer 11

describing locations

• compass points
• notable locations close by
• the type of area (eg. mountainous)
• if ‘explain’, then say why you think it is in this location

Question 12

How would a steep slope be shown with contour lines?

Answer 12

A steep slope would have contour lines very close together. (it will be labelled with the height above sea level)

Question 13

How would a shallow slope be shown with contour lines?

Answer 13

A shallow slope would have contour lines spaced apart. (it will be labelled with the height above sea level)

Question 14

What is an isoline graph?

Answer 14

An isoline graph shows lines on a map connecting points showing how a geographical feature varies between areas. (eg. contour lines show altitude)

Question 15

What is a choropleth map?

Answer 15

A choropleth map shows how a specified geographical feature varies between different areas using colours or patterns. There will always be a key.

Question 16

What is a flow line map?

Answer 16

A flow line map has arrows on it to show how things move from one place to another. They show distance, not displacement. The arrows can be proportional to real life. (eg. width of arrow shows quantity)

Question 17

What is a desire line map?

Answer 17

A desire line map have flow lines that show movement. The lines are straight and show journeys between two different locations; they show displacement, not distance.

Question 18

What is an Ordnance Survey map?

Answer 18

An Ordnance Survey map is the national mapping agency for the UK, and uses symbols and four and six figure grid references.

Question 19

Give the symbol for a motorway on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 19

motorway - blue line

Question 20

Give the symbol for a main (A) road on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 20

main (A) road - red/pink line

Question 21

Give the symbol for a secondary (B) road on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 21

secondary (B) road - orange line

Question 22

Give the symbol for a bridge on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 22

bridge - ] [

Question 23

Give the symbol for a railway on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 23

railway - black line

Question 24

Give the symbol for a county boundary on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 24

county boundary - black line, black dot, black line…

eg _ . _ . _ .

Question 25

Give the symbol for a building on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 25

building - orange box

Question 26

Give the symbol for a bus station on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 26

bus station - red line with circle in middle

Question 27

Give the symbol for a footpath on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 27

footpath - red or green dotted line

Question 28

Give the symbol for a viewpoint on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 28

viewpoint - blue lines reaching out from one point

Question 29

Give the symbol for a tourist information centre on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 29

tourist information centre - white i in a blue square

Question 30

Give the symbol for parking on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 30

parking - white p in a blue square

Question 31

Give the symbol for places of worship on an Ordnance Survey map.

Answer 31

places of worship - black cross, some with black box or black circle on the bottom

Question 32

How do you write a four figure grid reference?

Answer 32

four figure grid reference

• along the bottom first, then along the side
• should be along the left and bottom edges of the grid

Question 33

How do you write a six figure grid reference?

Answer 33

six figure grid reference

• along the bottom first, then along the side
• should be along the left and bottom edges of the grid
• estimate how far along it is out of 10 and add this to the end of each two digits

Question 34

What should you include when describing a graph?

Answer 34

describing a graph

• the general pattern - when it goes up and down, peaks and troughs
• any anomalies
• specific figures

Question 35

How do you calculate percentage change?

Answer 35

percentage change = ((final value - original value) / original value) x 100