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Map interpretation — KCSE Geography

KCSE Geography · 51 practice questions · 4 syllabus objectives

18 easy18 medium15 hard

What You'll Learn

Key learning outcomes for this topic, aligned to the KNEC KCSE syllabus.

Describe the relief of an area from contour lines: identify valleys, ridges, escarpments, depressions and plateaus

Draw and annotate a cross-section between two points on a topographic map; calculate vertical exaggeration

Identify drainage patterns (dendritic, trellis, radial, parallel) and explain the relationship between drainage and geology

Map interpretation

Sample Questions

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1
easySHORT ANSWER4 marks

Name two types of drainage patterns and explain how each relates to the underlying geology. (4 marks)

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Part (a) — 2 marks
Dendritic (1 mk)
Trellis (1 mk)
Part (b) — 2 marks
Dendritic patterns often develop on homogeneous rock types allowing for uniform erosion (1 mk)
Trellis patterns indicate alternating hard and soft rock layers influencing the direction of water flow (1 mk)
2
easySHORT ANSWER4 marks

Explain how to calculate the vertical exaggeration of a topographic cross-section between two points, given the horizontal scale is 1:50,000 and the vertical scale is 1:10,000. (4 marks)

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Part (a) — 4 marks
Identify the horizontal scale (1:50,000) and the vertical scale (1:10,000) (1 mk)
Convert the scales to the same units (e.g., both in metres) (1 mk)
Vertical exaggeration is calculated by dividing the horizontal scale by the vertical scale (1 mk)
In this case, it would be 50,000 / 10,000 = 5 (1 mk)
3
easySHORT ANSWER2 marks

Define the term 'vertical exaggeration' in the context of topographic maps. (2 marks)

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Part (a) — 2 marks
Vertical exaggeration: a technique used to amplify the vertical scale of a topographic profile compared to the horizontal scale (1 mk)
It helps to illustrate relief features more clearly on a map (1 mk)
4

State two characteristics of an escarpment as shown by contour lines on a map. (2 marks)

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Why Practise Map interpretation?

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