Here are some basic definitions to help you get started.
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Azimuth- Sometimes called a “Bearing” or “Heading.” Azimuth is a horizontal angle (parallel to the ground) that starts at zero degrees when you face North. As you rotate clockwise from North, the azimuth increases with every degree you turn. The amount you turn from North in a clockwise direction is the azimuth. Once you’re pointing in the right direction, all you need is the distance to walk then you can find your target.
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Geodesy- The science of measuring and modeling the 3D surface of the Earth and its properties (geometry, gravity, orientation).
Map: Simply a pictorial or smaller representation of the land/surface of the Earth. Typically, “maps” refers to representations of land and “charts” refer to water and sea maps. To be useful, maps should be drawn to scale. Often small landmarks and objects are drawn larger on maps otherwise, due to the map scale, the object wouldn't be visible on the map.
Map Symbols: Representations on maps of real world objects. See https://bit.ly/3gJ35SY for Quizlet. Start studying!
Cardinal Directions: North, South, East, and West.
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Control Points: locations marked along a route to be traveled. Often control points are useful for re-orienting yourself and ensure you are on the right path. These are called "Waypoints" on GPS.
North: North is taken as the starting point reference for directions, so North is zero degrees. Consider it a baseline for directions.
There are actually three “Norths”. The first one is True North which is defined as the geographic North Pole that’s aligned with the axis of the Earth’s rotation. On a classroom globe, that’s the “pivot point” at the top. Most maps point “up” to True North. The maps will display a compass rose showing True North or show a star which symbolizes Polaris (the North Star) indicating True North.
The Earth creates a magnetic field due to the moving internal liquid iron constituents in the core of the Earth. Like all magnets, the Earth’s magnet has a North Pole. The Earth’s magnetic North Pole is called Magnetic North. True North and Magnetic North are close, but not exactly aligned with each other. Magnetic compasses point to Magnetic North so when we're outside we can use compasses to tell us where North is to orient ourselves. The difference between True North and Magnetic North is called Magnetic Declination. Magnetic North actually moves over a long period of time since the Earth's magnetic field moves but True North does not change. Therefore, Magnetic Declination changes to correct for the movement of Magnetic North.
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In order to pinpoint your location on a map, it's helpful to have a coordinate system so you can then use the coordinates to specify your exact position on the map. The coordinate systems are typically lines drawn on the globe or a map. In the UTM coordinate system, the lines form a grid. The grid aligns fairly well with True North, but not exactly. The northerly direction of the grid is referred to as Grid North.
Orienting a Map- Aligning the map’s N, S, E, and W with the real life N, S, E, and W. Easy, but important. This can be done by laying your magnetic compass on a map and rotating the map so North on the map aligns with the magnetic needle.
Situational Awareness- Always knowing where you are in relation to other locations. Knowing which way is North. Know at your home where North, South, East, and West are. Then, know where those directions are at your school or church.
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Terrain Association- Identifying prominent real-world objects and land features on a map and aligning the map to match these objects and features. A map can be then oriented using terrain association if you do not have a compass. Then once the map is oriented, you should be able to determine the direction to other terrain features.
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Triangulation: Use of two or more azimuths (angulat) to determine your location. There are generally two types of triangulation; resection and intersection. Resection is finding your location based on azimuths to other identifiable landmarks on a map (like if you're lost). Intersection is finding something (or someone) else's location based on azimuths from different points of observation (like determining the position of a flare by observing it from two different locations). More
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Trilateration: Use of three (tri) distances (latera) from different locations to determine your location. The intersection of the three distances would be your location. More
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Units used commonly in Orienteering can be found here: