What is a map key used for?

• A. To identify scale
• B. To measure distances
• C. To explain symbols on a map
• D. To show elevation

Answer: (C)

A map key explains what the symbols on the map mean. Maps use many icons, colors, and line styles to represent different features, and the key links those symbols to real-world meanings so you can read the map correctly. Without the key, the marks would be just shapes and colors with no explanation.

This isn’t about scale or measuring distance—that comes from the scale bar or ratio on the map. And elevation is usually shown with contour lines or shading, not merely by the key itself. The essential idea is that the key decodes the symbols used to represent places, roads, bodies of water, vegetation, and other features.