What is a map?

• A. A diagram of the sky
• B. A graphic representation of a portion of the Earth's surface drawn to scale.
• C. A rough sketch of personal layout
• D. A plan of interior layout

Answer: (B)

A map is a graphic representation of a portion of the Earth's surface drawn to scale. It takes real-world features—like roads, rivers, and boundaries—and reduces them so you can see how things are positioned relative to one another, often using symbols, a legend, and a scale to show distances. This makes it a practical tool for navigation, planning, and understanding spatial relationships.

For comparison, a diagram of the sky would depict celestial objects, not Earth's surface; a rough sketch of a personal layout is a simple, informal interior arrangement; and an interior layout plan is more of a floor plan used for building design. Each of those serves a different purpose, whereas a map specifically portrays geographic areas on Earth in a scaled, interpretable way.