Map legend
Also called: Key, Index · Topic: Maps and Map Scale · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Topographical Maps"; Class 12, Ch 3 "Graphical Representation of Data"
Meaning
A map legend, also called a key, is a box on a map that explains the colours, shades and symbols used. Without it, a reader would not know what each sign stands for. It usually sits at the lower left or lower right of the sheet. Every symbol on the map should be explained in the legend, and the legend should list only what the map shows.
Example
On a political map of India, the legend explains the line used for the international boundary and the line used for state boundaries. It also gives the symbols for the national capital and the state capitals.
Don't confuse with
- Map scale: the scale tells you how map distance relates to ground distance. The legend tells you what the symbols mean.
- Conventional signs: these are standard symbols fixed in India by the Survey of India. The legend is the box on one map that explains the signs used on it.