Land Navigation / Map Reading Flashcards
What is the Field Manual for map reading and land navigation?
FM 3-25.26
What are the basic colors of a map, and what does each color represent?
Black - Indicates cultural (man-made) features such as buildings and roads, surveyed spot
elevations, and all labels.
Red-Brown - The colors red and brown are combined to identify cultural features, all relief
features, non-surveyed spot elevations, and elevation, such as contour lines on red-light readable
maps.
Blue - Identifies hydrography or water features such as lakes, swamps, rivers, and drainage.
Green - Identifies vegetation with military significance, such as woods, orchards, and vineyards.
Brown - Identifies all relief features and elevation, such as contours on older edition maps, and
cultivated land on red-light readable maps.
Red - Classifies cultural features, such as populated areas, main roads, and boundaries, on older
maps.
Other - Occasionally other colors may be used to show special information. These are indicated in
the marginal information as a rule.
What are military symbols?
Figures used to represent types of military organizations, installations, and activities
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 3-4 / PDF 24)
Where is the Legend of the map found?
Lower left margin
FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 3-1 / PDF 19
What are contour lines?
Imaginary lines on the ground connecting equal elevation, they represent high and low
ground elevation.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-2 / PDF 123)
What are 3 types of contour lines?
Index
Intermediate
Supplementary
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-2 / PDF 123)
How many Mils are in one Degree?
17.7 mils
FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 6-1 / PDF 65
How many Norths are there on a military map?
Three: True north Magnetic north Grid north (FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 3-1 / PDF 20)
What shape are the contour lines that indicate a hill?
A hill is shown on a map by contour lines forming concentric circles. The inside of the
smallest closed circle is the hilltop.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 133)
What shape are the contour lines that indicate a saddle?
A saddle is normally represented as an hourglass
FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 133
What shape are the contour lines that indicate a valley?
Contour lines forming a valley are either U-shaped or V-shaped.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 134)
What shape are the contour lines that indicate a Ridge?
Contour lines forming a ridge tend to be U-shaped or V-shaped. The closed end of the
contour line points away from high ground.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 134)
What shape are the contour lines that indicate a depression?
Usually only depressions that are equal to or greater than the contour interval will be
shown. On maps, depressions are represented by closed contour lines that have tick
marks pointing toward low ground.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 135)
What shape are the contour lines that indicate a draw?
The contour lines depicting a draw are U-shaped or V-shaped, pointing toward high
ground.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 135)
What shape are the contour lines that indicate a spur?
Contour lines on a map depict a spur with the U or V pointing away from high ground.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 136)
What shape are the contour lines that indicate a cliff?
Cliffs are also shown by contour lines very close together and, in some instances,
touching each other.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 136)
What shape are the contour lines that indicate a cut?
This contour line extends the length of the cut and has tick marks that extend from the
cut line to the roadbed, if the map scale permits this level of detail.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 137)
What shape are the contour lines that indicate a fill?
This contour line extends the length of the filled area and has tick marks that point
toward lower ground. If the map scale permits, the length of the fill tick marks are drawn
to scale and extend from the base line of the fill symbol.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 137)
What must be done to a map before it can be used?
It must be oriented.
FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 11-1 / PDF 147
What are 5 major terrain features found on a map?
Hill Ridge Valley Saddle Depression (FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 133)
What are the 3 minor terrain features found on a military map?
Draw
Spur
Cliff
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 135)
What are the 2 supplementary terrain features found on a military map?
Cut
Fill
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 10-6 / PDF 137)
What is a map?
A map is a graphic representation of a portion of the earth’s surface drawn to scale, as
seen
from above.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 2-1 / PDF 11)
What is an azimuth?
A horizontal angle, measured in a clockwise manner from a north base line, expressing
direction.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 6-3 / PDF 66)
What is vertical distance?
The distance between the highest and lowest points measured.
What is a contour interval?
The vertical distance between adjacent contour lines on a map.
(FM 3-25.26 Jan 2005 / 3-1 / PDF 20)
What is the distance between grid lines on a combat map?
1 kilometer or 1000 meters
How many mils are there in a circle?
6400 mils in 360 degrees
Which north is used when using a military map?
Magnetic north when using a compass, and grid north when using the map
How would you hold a lensatic compass?
Away from metal (weapons, electrical devices), level and firm