Cultural features on a topographical sheet include settlements, buildings, roads and railways, which are shown through conventional signs, symbols and colours. While interpreting these features, I would seek information about their location and pattern of distribution, which helps in understanding the area shown on the map.

For settlements, I would examine their site, location pattern, alignment and density. The nature and causes of various settlement patterns can be clearly understood by comparing the settlement map with the contour map. For example, settlements are usually found on flat lands or gentle slopes, avoiding steep slopes shown by closely spaced contours.

To derive this information, I must first look for the northline and the scale of the map and orient myself accordingly. A thorough knowledge of the legends/key given in the map is essential, as all topographical sheets contain a table showing conventional signs and symbols used in the map. These signs are internationally accepted, enabling anyone to read any map anywhere in the world.

I would also trace features like settlement and transport patterns on tracing sheets and describe their distributional pattern. By superimposing pairs of maps, such as a contour map over a land use map, I can understand the relationship between the degree of slope and the type of land used. This helps in interpreting why certain cultural features are located where they are.