Directions and Bearings in Geography

1. Direction and Bearings

2. Direction – Copy in books • Direction is regularly used to describe the location of an event. • You find the direction of one place from another by using the points of a compass.

3. Cardinal (main) points

4. 8 point compass

5. 16 point compass 090° is EAST 120° is between east and south-east

6. Bearings are used to give accurate directions- Write notes Directions can be given as an ANGLE, which is called the bearing. A circle has 360 degrees(°). Directions are stated as three-figure bearings clockwise from north (000°) e.g. 135°SE

7. Using a protractor

8. Australia’s Geographic Regions

9. Complete worksheet on this • Different north points • Topographic maps usually have three north points: • ● true north — This is the true direction of the north pole. Meridians of longitude meet at • the north pole. • ● grid north — This is the direction in which the north–south grid lines are drawn on the • topographic map. They do not form a true north–south position. Grid lines are parallel • to each other. Grid north is used to read direction, because bearings are plotted from grid • north. The difference between true north and grid north is called the grid convergence. • ● magnetic north — This is the direction in which the north point of a compass needle • points. It points to the magnetic north pole. (The south point of the needle points to the • magnetic south pole.) The positions of the magnetic poles change slightly over time. The • direction of magnetic north varies from place to place on the earth, so always check the • direction indicator on the topographic map for the area you are working on. The • difference between magnetic north and grid north is known as the grid–magnetic angle.