What map feature explains the meaning of symbols and colors on the map?

What map feature explains the meaning of symbols and colors on the map?

• A. Contour
• B. Legend
• C. Grid
• D. Scale

Answer: (B)

The feature that explains the meaning of the symbols and colors on a map is the legend, sometimes called the key. The legend lists each symbol and color and tells you what it represents, so you can read the map accurately—for example, showing roads, rivers, parks, or different land uses with specific icons or shades. Without the legend, those symbols would be just pictures; you wouldn’t know what they signify. Contour lines, on the other hand, indicate elevation and terrain shape, not the general meaning of map symbols. A grid provides the coordinate framework for locating places, and scale tells you how distances on the map translate to real-world distances. So the legend is the best fit for explaining what the symbols and colors mean.

The feature that explains the meaning of the symbols and colors on a map is the legend, sometimes called the key. The legend lists each symbol and color and tells you what it represents, so you can read the map accurately—for example, showing roads, rivers, parks, or different land uses with specific icons or shades. Without the legend, those symbols would be just pictures; you wouldn’t know what they signify.

Contour lines, on the other hand, indicate elevation and terrain shape, not the general meaning of map symbols. A grid provides the coordinate framework for locating places, and scale tells you how distances on the map translate to real-world distances. So the legend is the best fit for explaining what the symbols and colors mean.