What the Hell is a 'Map'?

Most people, when they want to find their way somewhere, use an app on their mobile phone or switch on an 'ancient' SatNav. Back in the days before geostationary satellites, people used paper maps (https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/jul/13/three-quarters-of-uk-adults-cant-read-a-map-heres-how-to-get-better-ordnance-survey-study). The Ordinance Survey (OS) is the major producer of official maps in the UK. They carried out a survey for National Map Reading Week, finding that 77% of UK adults couldn't recognise even the most basic symbols on OS maps. It's highly likely that the figure would be almost 100% in younger cohorts. So, is the map a total anachronism? Not quite. As mentioned earlier, the OS produces official maps and these are used for legal purposes (property rights etc). Also, if you are keen on exploring wild areas, it's a good idea to have map reading as backup. You could lose/damage your mobile or simply run out of battery. Solar storms or even direct human interference could also disrupt systems linked to geostationary satellites. A bit of basic map reading could extract you from 'hot water'.