8/9/2019 Map Direction Review

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 C o p yr i   gh  t  b  yTh  eM c  Gr  a w-Hi  l  l   C om p ani   e s  .

NAME DATE CLASS

African Civilizations

21st Century Skills

Information Literacy: Find Cardinal andIntermediate Directions

Learning the SkillAs you read about the geography and early history of Africa inLesson 1, you will be asked to interpret a number of maps.You will see that each one includes a compass rose.Mapmakers use this map element to show direction.

The four main directions indicated on a compass rose arecalled cardinal directions. The cardinal directions are north,south, east, and west. These are usually represented on thecompass rose by the letters N , S, E , and W . Now, look moreclosely at the compass rose on the maps included with thisactivity. Notice that between the letters representing thecardinal directions are small lines, or crosshairs, that form asmall X  in the center of the compass rose.

These small lines point in what are known as intermediatedirections. These are the directions found between twocardinal directions. For example, can you find the small linebetween N  and W  on the compass rose? Can you find the

small line between S and E ? These small lines show thedirections northwest and southeast. Northwest, southwest,northeast, and southeast are intermediate directions. Theability to find and describe both cardinal and intermediatedirections will allow you to interpret and use maps moreaccurately.

Lesson 1 The Rise of African Civilizations

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8/9/2019 Map Direction Review

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 C o p yr i   gh  t  b  yTh  eM c  Gr  a w-Hi  l  

l   C om p ani   e s  .

NAME DATE CLASS

African Civilizations

21st Century Skills Cont.

Practicing the Skill Study the map below and use thecompass rose to answer the questions that follow.

Kilimanjaro

 Mt. Kenya

TIBESTI  MOUNTAINS

 AMHAR APLATEAU 

 ARAB IAN PENINSULA

CONGO BASIN 

   M   A   D   A   G   A   S   C   A   R

KALAHARI  DESERT 

 AHAGGAR MOUNTAINS

S A H A R A

 A  T L A

 S  M O U

 N T A I NS 

L      I      B     Y           A          N            D         E    S     E    R    T     

   G   R    E      A       T

     R     I      F      T

       V   A   L   L   E   Y

 N      A     M     I     B         

  D         E         S          E     

R     T     

 D  R A  K

   E   N   S   B

      E      R      G

     R   A    N

    G     E

Cape of Good Hope

O r  a n  g e   R  

.

   L  i  m

  p o po 

 R   . 

  Z ambe  z  i  

 R   . 

  C   o    n  g     o   R

  .

N    i     g   

e   r    R    . 

S   e   n   e     g   

a   l       R      

.   

N     i    l     e    

 R      .   

Strait of Gibraltar 

U  b a n  g i  R .

LakeTurkana

LakeVictoria

LakeTanganyika

LakeMalawi 

LakeChad 

Gulf of Guinea

Mediterranean Sea

R       e     d         S       e     a     

 G u l f  o

 f  A d e n

LakeVolta

P    e   

r     s   i    a   n    G   

u  l   f    

 AT L ANT I C OC E A N  

0

Lambert Azimuthal 

Equal-Area projection

1,000 km

1,000 miles0

N

S

EW

Desert

Mediterranean

Rain forest

Savanna

KEY

1. In which direction would a person travel from the TibestiMountains to the Mediterranean Sea? Is this a cardinal orintermediate direction?

2. Suppose a person traveled along the Congo River from theCongo Basin to the Atlantic Ocean? In what general

direction would that person be traveling?

3. Using directional terms, how would you describe the locationof the Amhara Plateau in relation to the Kalahari Desert?

netw rks

8/9/2019 Map Direction Review

3/3

 C o p yr i   gh  t  b  yTh  eM c  Gr  a w-Hi  l  

l   C om p ani   e s  .

NAME DATE CLASS

African Civilizations

21st Century Skills Cont.

Applying the SkillLook at the map below and locate the compass rose. Then, on

the lines below, write three sentences that use cardinal andintermediate directions to describe the locations of threedifferent places on this map.

Benin

Gao

 Timbuktu

Saleh

 Taghaza

 Tunis

Cairo

Makkah(Mecca)

 Tripoli

S      e   n   e    g   

a   l      R    . 

 N  i         

   g      e     r           

 R    . 

N       

i   

l    

e       R       

 . 

  C   o    n

   g     o

       R .

      U       b

          a    n    g  

          i     R

   .

V     o   

l           t        a     

 R       . 

Lake

Chad 

Gulf of 

Guinea

R     e    d       S      

e    a    

 G u l f  o

 f  A d e n

M  e  d  i   t  e r  r  a n e a n

 S ea

P      e     

r      s    

i     a   n  

 G  u  l  f   

 AT L AN TIC 

O C E A N  

EGYPT

 ARA BIAN PENINSULA

S A H A R A

 AKA N    A F R I C A

A S I A

0

Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection

1,000 km

1,000 miles0

 N

 S

 E W

KEY

Ghana, c. 1050

Mali, 1300s

Benin, c. 1500

Songhai, 1500s

 Trade route

Salt mines

Gold mines

 

1. 

2. 

3. 

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