What does Physical Map mean?

Physical maps show land features like land and water. Land types that you typically see on a physical include valleys, mountains, hills and plateaus. The water types that you typically see on a physical map include lakes, rivers, and oceans. On smaller physical maps, you may see streams, ponds, and creeks.

Physical maps usually have the same colors on them which are blue for the water and various shades of greens and browns for the mountains. The darker the green the higher the elevation. Therefore, the mountains would be the darkest green. The brown color represents the flatter land. Deserts and valleys might be the lighter browns. You can tell how high the elevation is based on the specific colors that are used on the map.