Symbols — icons, lines, and colored shading, as well as circles, squares, and other shapes — are important parts of a map’s language. They give the map a more detailed meaning without cluttering up the picture with too many words. They represent roads, rivers, railroads, buildings, cities, and just about any natural or man-made feature you can think of. Symbols are either shown on the map or are compiled in a separate map symbol guide. Some common symbols found on USGS topographic maps are shown in Figure 2-10.
Figure 2-10:
Selected USGS topographic map symbols.
Whether you’re using a paper or a digital map, always familiarize yourself with its symbols. The more symbols you know, the better decisions you make when you’re relying on a map for navigation.
Map symbols aren’t universal. A symbol can have different meanings on different maps. For example, the symbol for a secondary highway on a USGS topographic map is a railroad on a Swiss map.
