What color represents water on a map?

On a map, the color blue is universally recognized to represent water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and other aquatic features. This color choice is intuitive, as blue is often associated with water in natural settings. The use of blue helps to distinguish these water areas from land, which is typically represented in greens, browns, or other earthy tones, thus aiding in the clarity and usability of the map for navigation and understanding geographical features. This standardization in color coding is an important aspect of map reading and interpretation.