Transportation symbols, such as highways and roads, are designated by a single line or set of parallel lines. Dashed or broken lines indicate the different types of roads -- hard surface roads, loose surface roads, rapid-transit routes, roads under construction and trails or portages. Highways are identified by number and the color of their sign or shield. For example, a blue and red shield is the symbol for an interstate highway; a black and white shield is the symbol for a U.S. highway; a round black and white sign is the symbol for a state highway and a pentagonal blue and yellow sign is the symbol for a county road. Railroads, tunnels and bridges are indicated on the map by symbols on black parallel lines.
Cities are pointed out as dots or circles. State capitals are usually marked as a star inside of a circle. County and state boundaries are drawn on a map as black lines. The names are written inside the territory for identification. Hospitals are indicated by a bold cross. Schools are specified by a black box with a triangle on top. Churches are shown as black boxes with a cross on top while post offices are black boxes with a circle on top. A recreational or historical site is indicated by a black triangle. Municipal facilities are shown on more detailed maps. For example, fire stations are shown by a white square with FS written inside. A white square with a J inside indicates a junkyard; an F for a landfill; and an S for a sewage disposal plant.
Contours -- imaginary lines that join points of equal elevation -- show the general shape of terrain on a topographical map and make it possible to measure height, depth and steepness. They are drawn as brown lines of different widths. Values are printed along the contours to help the user determine elevation. Contours that are very close together indicate a steep slope. Contours that are spaced far apart or an absence of contours means that the land is relatively flat or level.
Hydrographic symbols on a map are usually identified by blue on colored maps. These symbols include streams, rivers, lakes, irrigation ditches and reservoirs. Hydrographic symbols are shown on the map as one or more wavy lines depending on size. Lakes and reservoirs are represented approximately to scale and shape. Bathymetric contours measure the depth of lakes, oceans and seas. They are shown in blue or black and indicate the shape and slope of the lake, reservoir or ocean bottom.
