Topography

Vegetation is the plants and trees in an area or region. For example, forests, grasslands, tundra, and desert are examples of vegetation regions. The type of vegetation that grows in a region depends on the climate, the type of soil, and the slope, or angle, of the land in that region. This map shows the different vegetation areas in the world.

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Click on the pictures to compare the vegetation in different places of the world.

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Topography is the study of the physical features of an area of land. Topography studies the elevation (height) and location (latitude and longitude coordinates) of different landforms, such as mountains, hills, valleys, lakes, and rivers.

Topographic maps are used to show elevation on a flat piece of paper.

Topographic maps show the elevation changes of the land. Contour lines are drawn to show a certain elevation, and if there are numbers written on the map, they represent the elevation for the lines.

Maps that are three-dimensional can be created to show the topographic heights of mountains and depths of oceans in areas. These kinds of maps are more realistic.

Topography helps people understand the land and all of its features. This relief map shows the elevations around the world.

The green on the map represents lower elevations where more forests and grasslands grow. The yellow shows slightly higher elevations, and the darker brown represents the tallest mountain regions.