What do physical maps show?

Hint: Majorly, there are two types of maps. They are physical and political maps. Any country or state is depicted in both physical and political maps. Even the world map is of these two types.

Complete answer
Any area can be illustrated through a physical map. It shows the geography of that location. The natural landscape features of the Earth can be shown through the physical maps. Mountains, plateaus and plains, islands, deserts, seas and oceans, rivers and lakes are shown in the physical maps. The maps which are best known for showing topography, either by colors or as shaded relief are the physical maps. A green to brown to a gray color scheme is used in a physical map for showing the elevation of the land. Near sea-level elevations are shown using darker greens with the color grading into tans and browns as elevation increases.

For the highest elevations, the color gradient often terminates in the shades of grey. Water bodies such as rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans are usually shown in blue, often with a light blue color for most of the shallow areas and darkening in a gradient or by intervals for areas of deeper water. White color is used to show the glaciers and ice caps. The state and the country boundaries are also usually shown on a physical map. Major cities and major roads are also included but this is not the major focus of a physical map. This is often included for geographic reference and to increase the utility of the map for many users.

Note:A map is a geographical representation of selected natural, man-made features of the Earth’s surface on a plain sheet of paper with a definite scale. The map is only a sketch and not a photograph but it depicts the same on the land. Different types of maps are used according to convenience.