Maps are representations of physical features (mountains, valleys, rivers etc.) and/or human features (houses, roads, cities etc.) of a portion of the Earth's surface. Maps are usually graphically displayed on a flat surface, e.g. a sheet of paper or a monitor screen.

 Using points, lines, and area symbols, as well as color, they show how those features are located, arranged, distributed, and related to one another.

 Maps can be a simple freehand line drawing of how to get to a friend's house or a complex multicolor display of atmospheric conditions used in weather forecasting.

 No map can show everything. Each map is made with some purpose. Maps can show visible surface features such as rivers, seacoasts, roads, and towns; underground features such as subway systems and tunnels; abstract features (imaginary or one which cannot be seen) such as political boundaries, population densities, and lines of latitude and longitude.

 Maps typically emphasize, generalize, and omit certain features from the display to meet design objectives (e.g., railroad features might be included in a transportation map but omitted from a highway map).