About
Grand News Compass is for readers who want to understand how places are represented and connected. We cover maps, landforms, place names, regions and routes, using plain explanations and examples that do not require specialist equipment or local expertise.
What we cover
Our subjects range from map conventions and landscape features to the names people give places and the ways regions are drawn. We focus on understanding what is in front of you: what a map shows, what its choices leave out, and how a feature relates to its surroundings.
Who it is for
You do not need to be a geographer to read Grand News Compass. The publication is for anyone who has paused over a map, wondered why a place has its name, or wanted a clearer picture of how one part of the landscape connects to another.
How we approach a subject
We begin with a concrete question and explain the terms needed to answer it. We distinguish a map's conventions from the place itself, avoid treating a single example as universal, and favour observations readers can make without special access or equipment.
A map is a view, not the whole place
We look at the choices behind maps and the details beneath them. The aim is not to memorise every label, but to ask better questions about where we are.