Map Skills

Compass Rose

Maps often have a symbol like this to show directions north, south, east, and west. This is called a compass rose because the points on the symbol look like the petals of a flower.

Map Scales

Maps cannot be the same size as the actual area they show because obviously the maps would be too big. Mapmakers, who are called cartographers, create a relationship between the real size and the map size that is shown on a scale. For example, one inch on a map might equal one mile on a road.

Math Symbols

Symbols rather than words are often used to shorten and simplify equations. Here are examples of some symbols:

Symbol	Meaning	Example
>	Greater than	10 > 2
<	Less than	2 < 10
>	Greater than or equal to	10 > 10, 9, 8. . .
<	Less than or equal to	2 < 2, 3, 4. . .

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