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What is a Topographical Map?
The distinctive
characteristic of a topographic map is that the shape of the
Earth's surface is shown by contour lines. Contours are
imaginary lines that join points of equal elevation on the
surface of the land above or below a reference surface, such as
mean sea level. Contours make it possible to measure the height
of mountains, depths of the ocean bottom, and steepness of
slopes.
A topographic map shows more than contours. The map includes
symbols that represent such features as streets, buildings,
streams, and vegetation. These symbols are constantly refined to
better relate to the features they represent, improve the
appearance or readability of the map, or reduce production cost.
Consequently, within the same series, maps may have slightly
different symbols for the same feature. Examples of symbols that
have changed include built-up areas, roads, intermittent
drainage, and some lettering styles. On one type of large-scale
topographic map, called provisional, some symbols and lettering
are hand-drawn.
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Interactive Topographical Map
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Interactive Topographical Tips
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Map Centers on Washington DC
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Click and drag your mouse to move the map
You can zoom in or out using the slider control or the + / -
buttons
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You can toggle your map view by clicking the Topo,
Satellite, Urban, or B/W buttons
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Double click any area of the map to automatically center
that area in the map
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Topographical map source serves data at a low speed please
be patient
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