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Atlases, Ordnance Survey

Atlases and Ordnance Survey maps are vital in GCSE Geography. This quiz helps you practise symbols, scale, and routes so real-world mapwork feels clearer and more confident.

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Fascinating Fact:

Rights of way, including footpaths, bridleways, and byways, are marked on OS maps and are useful for planning fieldwork routes.

In GCSE Geography, you learn to use atlases for global patterns and Ordnance Survey maps for local detail. Good atlas and OS skills help you plan fieldwork, measure distances, and describe locations accurately.

Key Terms

Ordnance Survey map: A detailed large-scale map of the UK showing roads, land use, height, and many human and physical features using standard symbols.
Right of way: A route the public is legally allowed to use, such as a public path or track, shown on OS maps with special waymarking symbols.
Legend (key): The box on a map that explains what each symbol, line, shading, or pattern means so you can interpret the map correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is the difference between an atlas and an OS map?

An atlas usually shows small-scale maps of the world, continents, or countries, which is useful for global patterns. An OS map is large-scale and shows detailed local features such as roads, land use, and height.

How do I use OS maps in GCSE Geography fieldwork?

In GCSE fieldwork, OS maps help you choose safe routes, locate study sites, measure distances, and describe features. You use grid references, contour lines, and symbols to record exactly where your investigations took place.

Which atlas map skills are important for GCSE exams?

Important atlas skills include finding places using the index, reading latitude and longitude, recognising map projections, and using scale to estimate distances between countries, cities, and major physical features.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Which is the correct word to describe a person who is involved in preparing maps?

Mapper

Cartographer

Mapsmith

Mapographer

The word probably originates from the Latin word for 'chart'

2 .

Which of the following most accurately describes a map?

An accurate representation of the world

A representation of part or all of the surface of the Earth

A drawing that is used only for navigation

A diagram that shows land use in Australia

Map-makers use a system of symbols to represent the features on the ground

3 .

What is 'Mercator's Projection'?

The method used by teachers to show a map to the whole class

A way of representing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat piece of paper

A piece of rock that is sticking out from a cliff face

A special instrument for drawing a map

Countries that are further from the equator appear proportionally larger than the equatorial countries

4 .

On which of the following pages in an atlas might you find a hot desert marked?

North Africa, Middle East

Russia, Japan

Antarctica

Philippines and Indonesia

North Africa has the Sahara and the Middle East has the Arabian desert

5 .

Ordnance Survey maps cover ...

England

the USA

the whole world

Britain

The Ordnance Survey produce several different series of maps at different scales

6 .

Which of the following is not a reason for using an atlas?

To find out which countries have a border with Angola

To navigate your way in mountainous terrain

To discover which country in the world had the highest population density

To learn about how land is used in South America

The scale of the maps in an atlas is too small for navigation, a tiny error in working out the direction from a small scale map would create an error of many kilometres on the mountainous terrain. Only the largest features are shown so you would not know if there was a cliff or ravine etc. that might be blocking your way

7 .

One sort of Ordnance Survey map used by hikers for navigation has a scale of 1:50,000. This means:

only 50,000 copies have ever been printed

nothing, it is just something that has to be added to the map by law

there are 50,000 different features marked on the map

every 2 centimetres measured on the map corresponds to 1 kilometre on the area represented by the map

The scale of a map is the mathematical ratio showing how much smaller it is when compared with the area it represents. In this case, 1 centimetre on the map represents 50,000 centimetres (0.5 kilometres) on the ground

8 .

Which of the following could be found in an atlas

The population of New York City

A list of the world's longest rivers

Land use in the UK

All of the above

An atlas is a very good source of geographical information

9 .

Ordnance Survey maps were first created for ...

military purposes

mountain rescue teams

people who go for country walks

car drivers

When the Ordnance Survey was started, there was a serious threat that Britain could have been invaded by the French forces of Napoleon I, so the Board of Ordnance (the equivalent of today's Ministry of Defence) needed better maps so that troops and equipment could be moved to invasion sites as efficiently as possible

10 .

Which of the following statements most accurately describes an atlas?

A collection of maps

A list of data about the countries of the world

A navigational aid

A book containing maps and other geographical data

Each map will have a title, scale and key

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Map skills

Author: Kev Woodward (PGCE, Science & Chemistry Teacher, Quiz Writer)