Orientation North, south, east, and west define orientation throughout the world. On most maps, north is towards the top of the map, but this is not always the case. Therefore, any map should clearly indicate which way is north. Example of a map orientation symbol. Scale A map must include a scale in order for it to be useful as a source of spatial information.
Scale refers to what a given distance on the map represents on the ground.
Scales are usually presented in two ways. First, the scale of a map can be presented as a ratio of the distance on the map to the distance on the land. Graphic scales can be used to measure distances on the map itself. Then move the marked paper to the area of the map you wish to measure. Alternatively, measure the scale with a ruler and calculate the distance that is equivalent to 1cm.