I created a map pinpointing a location in Canada, but in the iOS simulator it shows my location at being in California (which I assume is default), I set the zoom to 0.01 thinking it would zoom in close to the pinpoint, but what it actually does is open at the pinpoint, then immediately zoom out so the whole of north america is on the screen. I don't know if this is so that it can show the location as well as the pinpoint, but it is a cause for concern. How can I set the map so that it opens (and remains until manually zoomed in or out) with the pinpoint centred on screen and zoomed in fairly close? thanks in advance

Since the default location is Apple HQ, the map zooms out to accommodate both locations. If you have a Dev account with Apple, load it onto the device and you will see how it will work live.

ah ok, thanks. I have a developer account, but have been having problems getting the certificates set up

You might want to make sure you also turned off the option to Show User location in the Map Behavior settings. Then it will only show you the single location on the map. The iOS Provisioning Portal has a lot of help. Try to use the launch assist, and remember take your time and read it all. I had to redo it once when the certs were not installing properly.