Prior to 1897, orienteering had been practised as a military
exercise. In 1886 the word "orienteering" was used for the
first time to mean crossing unknown terrain with the aid of a
map and compass. In 1895 competitions were held by the military
in Orienteering developed in the Nordic countries as a sport in its own right, but in its early days it was mainly for adult men. After the First World War, a Swede, Major Ernst Killander, a youth and scout leader turned to orienteering in an effort to revive the fading enthusiasm of young people for athletics. His idea was such a success that within a few years it had become a major sport. |
