Most maps have a compass rose to indicate direction. The compass rose shows directions so the reader will know which way is north, east, west and south. This feature allows the reader to figure out which way to go and alleviates confusion if told to travel a direction other than north,east, west and south (for example; northwest or southeast). The compass rose also shows relation from one town to the next.
The scale on a map shows distance. In a majority of maps, the scale is a line marked with distance on the ground. The end of a scale will show an overall length. For example, assume the length of the scale represents five miles. Measure the scale with a ruler, then place the ruler along the roads on the map to determine the length of the roads.
Maps are color-coded to distinguish certain obects. Highways will be one color and county roads will be another color. This gives the reader an idea of what type of roads lie ahead of them and can provide alternate directions. Locate the chart on the side of the map to determine what each color means.
A map has a chart to indicate what each color code means. The chart also shows what symbol represents highways, interstates, bodies of water and other points of interest.
Latitude and longitude are represented by numbered grids. On most maps, north and south are represented by a letter and east and west are represented by a number. This makes finding locations easier. Rather than saying that Atlanta is in northern Georgia, you can say that Atlanta is where the letter "B" line meets with the number five line; the reader can follow those directions and find the city.
