Orienteering

This article is about the sport of orienteering. For orienteering training in the military, see Land navigation. For the way it is practised in Scouting, see Orienteering (scouting). For the combination with radio communication, see Radio orienteering.
Not to be confused with Orientation.
The international orienteering flag
Orienteering pictogram

Orienteering is a group of sports that involve using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points.[1] Originally a training exercise in land navigation for military officers, orienteering has developed many variations. Among these, the oldest and the most popular is foot orienteering. For the purposes of this article, foot orienteering serves as a point of departure for discussion of all other variations, but almost any sport that involves racing against a clock and requires navigation with a map is a type of orienteering.

Orienteering is included in the programs of world sporting events including the World Games[2] (see Orienteering at the World Games) and World Police and Fire Games.[3]

  1. ^ "About Orienteering". The Canadian Orienteering Federation. Archived from the original on 2008-10-02. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  2. ^ "Orienteering". International World Games Association. Archived from the original on 2006-01-08. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  3. ^ "Sports". World Police Fire Games. Archived from the original on 2008-10-01. Retrieved 2008-09-29.