Compass Directions
Knowing your compass directions is essential in being able to read information on a map.
Compass Directions
Compass directions help us understand where things are and how to get from one place to another. They are based on the cardinal points, the four main directions used on a compass. For even more accuracy, we can divide these main directions into eight or sixteen points.
Four Main Compass Directions (Cardinal Points):
- North (N) – This points to the North Pole and is usually shown at the top of maps.
- South (S) – Opposite to north, pointing towards the South Pole.
- East (E) – To the right of north; it’s the direction where the sun rises.
- West (W) – Opposite east, to the left of north, where the sun sets.
These are the most basic directions and are called the cardinal directions. These are shown below.
There are several ways of remembering these. You could use:
- naughty elephants squirt water
- never eat shredded wheat
A further 4 can be added for greater accuracy.
Eight Compass Directions:
To be more specific, we use directions between the cardinal points:
- Northeast (NE) – Halfway between north and east.
- Southeast (SE) – Between south and east.
- Southwest (SW) – Between south and west.
- Northwest (NW) – Between north and west.
These are known as intercardinal directions and are often used when describing a more detailed location or movement.
Sixteen Compass Directions:
For even more precision, each of the eight directions can be split again to give sixteen compass points. These include:
- North-northeast (NNE) – Between north and northeast.
- East-northeast (ENE) – Between northeast and east.
- East-southeast (ESE) – Between east and southeast.
- South-southeast (SSE) – Between southeast and south.
- South-southwest (SSW) – Between southwest and south.
- West-southwest (WSW) – Between southwest and west.
- West-northwest (WNW) – Between northwest and west.
- North-northwest (NNW) – Between northwest and north.
These sixteen directions help us describe locations and travel routes with great accuracy.
Related Skills
Use the images below to explore related geographical skills.
