Skip to content
    Geography GCSE

    Contour lines

    What Contour lines means in Geography GCSE, as defined for AQA.

    Definitions of Contour lines

    Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.

    Check what you remember

    Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Contour lines in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.

    Reference: AQA

    Lines on a topographical map that show relief, each representing a specific altitude value above sea level.
    AQA · Graphical skills
    Lines that join points of equal elevation, and their spacing indicates the steepness of the slope.
    AQA · Cartographic skills

    Topics that use Contour lines

    Related terms

    Using Contour lines in the exam

    Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.

    Practise Geography questions

    Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.

    Start free

    A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge

    All Geography GCSE terms