Database results:
examBoard: Cambridge
examType: IGCSE
lessonTitle: Compass Directions and Bearings
Compass directions and bearings are essential cartographic skills that help us navigate, read maps and describe locations accurately. These skills are fundamental in geography and are used in fieldwork, map reading and spatial analysis. Understanding how to use a compass and calculate bearings will help you interpret maps correctly and communicate geographical information precisely.
Key Definitions:
A compass rose is a figure on a map, nautical chart, or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions. The traditional compass rose shows the four cardinal directions (N, E, S, W), the four intercardinal directions (NE, SE, SW, NW) and sometimes the secondary intercardinal directions (NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, NNW).
Most maps are oriented with North at the top. This convention makes it easier to read and interpret maps. When using a map, it's important to orient it correctly by aligning the North on the map with North in the real world. This can be done using a compass or by identifying landmarks.
Compasses are divided into points that help us describe direction more precisely. The two most common systems are the 8-point and 16-point compass.
The 8-point compass includes the four cardinal directions and the four intercardinal directions:
The 8-point compass is useful for general navigation and basic map reading. It allows you to describe direction with reasonable accuracy for most everyday purposes.
The 16-point compass adds eight more directions between the points of the 8-point compass, allowing for more precise direction descriptions:
The 16-point compass is used when greater precision is needed, such as in navigation, fieldwork and detailed geographical descriptions. It allows you to communicate direction with greater accuracy than the 8-point compass.
While compass points are useful for general direction, bearings provide a more precise way to describe direction using degrees.
A bearing is a direction expressed as an angle measured clockwise from North. Bearings are always given as three digits, ranging from 000° to 359°.
Imagine you're on a geography field trip in the Lake District. You're at grid reference 123456 and need to describe the location of a distinctive landform to your classmates. You could say: "From our position, there's a glacial corrie at a bearing of 047° approximately 2 kilometres away." This gives a precise direction that anyone with a compass or protractor could follow, regardless of landmarks or visibility.
To calculate a bearing on a map, you'll need a protractor and a straight edge.
Compass directions and bearings have numerous applications in geographical studies and fieldwork.
During fieldwork, compass directions and bearings help you navigate, record the location of features and describe spatial relationships. For example, you might record the bearing of a river's flow or the direction of coastal erosion.
Understanding compass directions helps you interpret maps correctly. You can identify patterns, such as the direction of urban growth, the orientation of mountain ranges, or the flow direction of rivers.
When collecting geographical data, recording the direction of features or processes provides valuable spatial information. For example, recording the direction of longshore drift or prevailing winds.
The Holderness Coast in Yorkshire faces the North Sea to the east (090°). The prevailing winds come from the northeast (045°), driving powerful waves that cause rapid erosion. Coastal defences are oriented to protect against waves coming from bearings between 030° and 150°. Understanding these directional relationships is crucial for effective coastal management. When studying this coastline, geographers use compass directions and bearings to map erosion rates, sediment transport directions and the orientation of defensive structures.
In your iGCSE Geography exam, you might be asked to:
Compass directions and bearings are fundamental cartographic skills that allow you to navigate, read maps and describe locations precisely. The 8-point and 16-point compass systems provide frameworks for describing direction, while bearings offer a more precise measurement in degrees. These skills are essential for fieldwork, map interpretation and geographical analysis.
Remember that North is the reference point for both compass directions and bearings. Compass directions are expressed as points (N, NE, E, etc.), while bearings are measured in degrees clockwise from North (000° to 359°). With practice, these skills will become second nature, enhancing your geographical understanding and communication.
Log in to track your progress and mark lessons as complete!
Login NowDon't have an account? Sign up here.