Direction, Bearings, and Latitude/Longitude

🧭 Direction, Bearings, and Latitude/Longitude

Compass Directions

The 8-point compass is used in geography to describe the direction of movement or the relative position of features. You need to know all eight points and be able to estimate which one applies from a map extract.

3-Figure Bearings

A bearing is a precise direction given as a 3-figure number from 000° to 360°, measured clockwise from north. Bearings are always written with three digits — so north is 000°, not 0°; east is 090°, not 90°.

To measure a bearing from point A to point B:

1. Place a protractor at point A with the 0° mark pointing north (towards the top of the map)
2. Draw or imagine a line from A to B
3. Read the angle clockwise from the north line to the A-to-B line
4. Write it as a 3-figure number (add leading zeros if needed)

Examples:

• B is directly north of A → bearing = 000°
• B is directly east of A → bearing = 090°
• B is south-east of A → bearing = approximately 135°
• B is directly south of A → bearing = 180°
• B is north-west of A → bearing = approximately 315°

Common mistake: Students sometimes give the bearing from B to A instead of A to B. These are always 180° different (reciprocal bearings). If asked for the bearing from A to B and you get 240°, the bearing from B to A would be 240° − 180° = 060°.

Latitude and Longitude: Locating Places on Earth

Latitude and longitude are the global coordinate system — they work for any location on Earth, not just the UK. Unlike grid references (which are local to a specific map), lat/long gives an absolute position anywhere on the planet.