GEOGRAPHY GRADE 10-12 F.

LAHER

MAPWORK INTERPRETATION
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Geographical interpretation is an integral part of any mapwork paper. Use the

guideline below to help you analyse and interpret topographic and orthophoto maps:

CONCEPT DESCRIPTION/ EXPLANATION

Rivers/Drainage Height- rivers flow from high lying areas to low
lying areas (check using contour lines)
Dam wall points downstream
Direction
Angle of the tributaries- Water from tributaries
flow into the main river
Rivers flow into the ocean
Flow throughout the year and is evidence of
Perennial annual rainfall. Common on the East of South
Africa
Flow seasonally during the rainy season (summer
Non-perennial
in the Highveld and winter in the Western Cape)
upper- steep land, evidence of waterfalls, narrow
valley
middle- valley widens, river begins to meander,
Stage/course of
gentle gradient
a river
lower- flat land, wide valley and floodplain,
oxbow lakes and braided streams, close to the
ocean
amount of streams in the drainage basin
Drainage
high- many streams and tributaries
density
low- few streams and tributaries
River gains extra energy and begins to erode
River
Landforms- knickpoint waterfall, river terraces,
rejuvenation
valleys within valleys, incised meanders
River capture When one river steals water from another river
Superimposed River is younger than the structures over which
drainage it flows
Antecedent River is older than the structures over which it
drainage flows
pollution- chemicals and waste decrease the
water quality of the river.
Building of dams- alter natural ecology
clearing land- affects runoff and infiltration and
Catchment and
can cause flooding
river
building on a floodplain- low lying areas can be
management
flooded
concrete and tar surfaces on the floodplain does
not allow for infiltration

Drainage Dendritic-branches of a tree and indicate rocks

pattern of uniform resistance. Most common
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GEOGRAPHY GRADE 10-12 F.LAHER

radial/ centrifugal- dome shaped feature.

Streams radiate from a central high lying area

trellis- alternate layers of hard and soft rock.

Short tributaries that cut gaps through mountains

rectangular- well jointed igneous rock.water

flows in exposed joints and tributaries join at right
angles

parallel- uniform gradient. Rivers flow parallel to

each other

centripetal- low lying areas. Streams flow

inwards towards a central depression

Indicate the need to store water along with

Dams Storage of water reservoirs, canals, weirs, furrows. Some dams
used to irrigate commercial farms

commercial- large scale, large area, has own

names or irrigation systems, farmhouses evident,
rural areas, farming for a profit
subsistence- farming for oneself, small scale, no
farm names, dirt roads or foot paths, huts, isolated
settlement
Primary
orchards and vineyards- fruit farming
Farming economic
cultivated land- crop farming
activity
plantations- tree farming (timber)
stock farming-kraals, abattoirs, dipping tanks,
auctioning pen, suggests area receives low rainfall
mixed farming- crop and livestock farming
horticulture- flower farming
farming is NOT natural vegetation

Mining Primary Features such as diggings, excavations, slimes

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dams, mines will be named, outskirts of the town,

mine dumps, degraded eroded land, land becomes
economic despoliated, can result in health issues for those
activity living close to the mine (respiratory problems).
Open cast mining is surface mining and scars the
land

Acts as a farm boundary, wind breaker, helps to

Row of trees prevent erosion, can also act as a sound barrier or
be used for beautification

steep- contour lines close together

gentle- contour lines far apart

Relief/ concave-contour lines steep at the top and

Slopes
topography gentle at the bottom

convex-contour lines steep at the bottom and

gentle at the top

mesa

butte

valley

gap/poort
Relief/
Landforms
topography
saddle, pass,

watershed

cliff/waterfall

Land-use zones The way land is residential-schools, parks, churches, post offices
used High income- large plots, away from city centre,

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wider street patterns, golf courses. Low income-

small plots, houses clustered together. Informal-
dirt roads, little services (hospitals, schools etc) ,
high density, often on the outskirts of the
settlement
Central business district (CBD)- commercial hub
of the settlement. Often in the centre
Industrial- factories, warehouses, look for dark
buildings. Heavy industrial- located on the outskirts
of the town due to noise and pollution. Light
industrial- closer to residential areas, often small
scale.
farming/agriculture
recreation-parks, sports grounds, gold courses,
driving range
Rural urban fringe- outskirts of the settlement,
cemeteries, sewage works, landing strips,
aerodromes, airports, water purification plants
Transition zone- area around the CBD

Settlement Site- actual location of the settlement

Site/ situation
situation- the surroundings of the settlement
rural- outskirts, few functions, villages, farms,
unifunctional (usually primary activities). Influenced
by relief, climate, water and resources. Has issues
of rural urban migration and poor infrastructure
and services which leads to social justice issues
urban- large with many functions, central place-
urban area that provides goods and services to the
surrounding rural areas, trade and transport towns,
(break of bulk, gateway, gap, junction), specialised
Type
town with one main function. Urban issues- lack of
housing, overcrowding, poverty, pollution, urban
decay and informal settlements. Issues can be
overcome by decentralisation, improving transport
and infrastructure, introducing green belts, and
education
*A rural area is not the same as an informal
settlement. An informal settlement forms part of
the urban profile
round, linear (often along a road or river), t-
Shape shaped, stellar (at the intersection of many main
roads/arterial routes, highways)
Nucleated/clustered- houses/buildings close
together. Resources located in one area and for
Pattern
protection
dispersed-houses/buildings far away
Expansion Look at the relief of the land to determine if the
settlement can be expanded, check the features
on the map to see the land uses. Steep land is

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difficult to build on
Age Look for monuments or features with a date
complexity of the settlement
Size Isolated farmstead, hamlet, village, town, city,
metropolis, conurbation, megalopolis
Grid iron- streets intersect at right angles.
Characteristics of older cities and the CBD. Traffic
congestion so one way streets are used

Planned irregular- mountainous region, High

income residential, build using contours the land,
easy to get lost and difficult to expand
Street pattern
Unplanned irregular- no planning, associated
with 3rd world towns and informal settlements

Radial- streets radiate from a central point which

is usually a church, town hall or market square

Burgess concentric zone model- Landuse zones

in concentric zones around the CBD
Hoyts sector model- Land-use zones along
traffic routes away from the CBD
Models of urban Harris and Ullman- CBD is not in the centre of
structure the city
S.A city- takes into account the Apartheid
residential segregation. The informal areas are
placed on the edge with a buffer zone such as a
river or a railway line

woodlands, forests, irregular shape, no lookout

Natural towers or firebreaks, can have footpaths or hiking
Natural trails
vegetation Protected areas, nature reserves, demarcated
Conservation by a green border and is sometimes named, hiking
trails, can indicate indigenous vegetation

Dongas, gullies, eroded land

soil erosion is a major issue because it reduces
the availability of farmland decreasing the amount
Erosion
of food which causes food prices to increase and
can cause farms to close down which could also
lead to rural-urban migration

Infrastructure Roads, railways and communication towers

built with the natural contours of the land
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types of roads indicate the importance of the

land

Activities that extract natural resources

Primary
farming, fishing, mining, forestry
Manufacturing and processing of raw materials
Secondary
Economic industries
Activity Provides services
Tertiary
schools, clinics, police station, library etc.
Specialised services
Quaternary
Medical research, software developers etc.

Museums, Resorts, recreational areas,

swimming areas, stadiums, etc.
Tourism
sinking of ships of the oceans coast will be given
with a name and a year e.g. SS Sabina 1785

Climate Location Climate refers to the average temperature and

rainfall over a period of time
South Africa falls in the mid-latitudes
Western parts are drier than Eastern parts
Areas such as the Northern cape are arid
Different parts of the country have different
microclimates
Continentality Continental climates- inland areas receive
extreme seasonal and daily temperature
differences
Maritime- Places closer to the ocean have
moderate seasonal and diurnal temperature
ranges
Ocean currents Cold Benguela current flows past the western
cape carrying cold winds and water from the poles
Warm Aghullas and Warm Mozambique current
flows past the Eastern coast of South Africa
bringing warm air and water from the equator
resulting in rains
Rainfall Type-orographic (warm air is forced to rise up a
mountain, cools and condenses), Convectional
(hot air rises), frontal (a cold front meets a warm
front wand the warm air is forced to rise above the
cold air)
Western cape receives a Mediterranean climate
and has winter rainfall
Natural forests indicate annual rainfall
Maize farming and maize silos indicate summer
rainfall
Aspect North facing slopes are warmer than south
facing slopes as they receive direct sunlight
South facing slopes receive oblique rays of

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GEOGRAPHY GRADE 10-12 F.LAHER

sunlight and are cooler. Crops that require less

sunlight are planted on these slopes
Anabatic winds Winds that blow upslope during the day as the
top of the valley is warmer than the bottom due to
insoaltion
Katabatic winds Winds that blow downslope and night due to the
differences in pressure.
warm air at the bottom gets displaced forming a
thermal belt/inversion layer midslope
causes frost pockets on the valley floor at night.
Don’t build crops on the valley floor as frost
damages them
pollution gets trapped below the inversion layer.
Build chimneys or smoke stacks above the
inversion layer. Don’t settle or have industries on
the valley floor
Urban climates Warmer than the surrounding rural areas
A heat island or a heat dome exists over the city
due to artificial surfaces and building materials that
absorb heat
A pollution dome can exist at night as pollution
gets trapped in the heat island
Air currents cause the pollution to disperse
during the day
The urban heat island effect can be reduced by
introducing green belts, water sources, painting
roofs white, using light colours and building
material that do not absorb heat

Rockfalls, landslides, mudslides

common on steep slopes and can destroy
Mass
infrastructure, property and can cause loss of life.
movements
Build gabions or catch fences or avoid building
on steep and unstable slopes

South Africa uses Gauss conformal map

Map projection
projection. Code on the maps is WG84

dark areas represent water

check for shadows on buildings to determine
Orthophoto
time it was takes
maps
Look at the size, shape and proximity to other
features when identifying features on a map

vertical- taken from the top (birds eye view)

Aerial
high oblique-horizon is visible
photographs
low oblique-horizon not visible

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