Physical maps commonly use colours most dramatically to show changes in elevations. A palette of green is often used to display common elevations. Dark green usually represents low-lying land white lighter green used for higher elevations. For higher elevations, physical maps will often use light brown to dark brown.

An aeronautical chart is a map designed to assist in the navigation of aircrafts much like as nautical charts do for watercraft or a roadmap for drivers. Using these charts and other tools, pilots are able to determine their positions, safe altitude, best route to a destination, navigation aids along the way, alternative landing areas in case of an in-fight emergency and other useful information such as radio frequencies and airspace boundaries.

Compass is an instrument used to find out main directions. Its magnetic needle always points towards North-South direction.

The arrow 'N' shows the northern direction. It is called the North Line. When we know about the north, we can find out other directions.

The maps which show mountains, plains, valleys, plateaus, rivers, lakes and contours, etc. are called Physical Maps. They are also known as Relief Maps.

When the boundaries of the continents, countries, states, districts, capital cities and towns are shown on a map, it is called a Political Map.

The titles given to thematic maps are based on the information given in the map. They contain specific information like-networks of roads, distribution of forests, distribution of industries etc.

The colours are used to indicate various geographical features:
(i) Blue For showing water bodies.
(ii) Brown For showing mountains.
(iii) Yellow For showing plateau.

Intermediate directions North-East (NE), South-East (SE), South-West (SW) and North-West (NW) directions are called intermediate directions.
Cardinal directions The four major directions are called cardinal points, which are North, South, East and West.

Symbols give a lot of information in a limited space. Maps have a universal language (symbol) so that any person speaking any language can understand it. We can collect information from maps with the help of symbols.

Thematic map provides detailed information.

Maps are more useful than a globe because they provide more information than a globe. A globe is useful when we want to study the earth as a whole, on the other hand, maps are useful when we have to study a specific location, place or an area. Apart from this, maps are made with specific information with various landforms and locations of a particular area.

The ratio between the distance on the paper and the distance on the ground is called the scale of the map.

The four cardinal directions are North, South, East and West.