What is "Topographical map"? Please give some exclamation
Answers
In modern mapping, a topographic map is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines, but historically using a variety of methods. Traditional definitions require a topographic map to show both natural and man-made features.
A map is a representation of the earth, or part of it. The distinctive characteristic of a topographic map is the use of contour lines to show the shape of the earth's surface. USGS topographic maps also show many other kinds of geographic features, including roads, railroads, rivers, streams, lakes, buildings, built-up areas, boundaries, place or feature names, mountains, elevations, survey control points, vegetation types, and much more.
A contour line joins points of equal height. Contours make it possible to show the height and shape of mountains, depths of the ocean bottom, and steepness of slopes. Basically, contours are imaginary lines that join points of equal elevation on the surface of the land above or below a reference surface, usually mean sea level.
The phrase "USGS topographic map" usually refers to standard quadrangle maps with scale between 1:10,000 and 1:250,000. Within this domain there are two product categories:
US Topo maps are the current topographic map series, published as digital documents in 2009 and later.
The Historical Topographic Map Collection (HTMC) consists of scanned images of maps originally published as paper documents in the period 1884-2006.
The USGS also publishes other kinds of maps, including some topographic maps that are not standard quadrangle maps. For information about other maps and publications, see