Which color is used to represent water on a map?

The color blue is universally accepted in cartography to represent bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, and oceans. This color choice is intuitive, as it resembles the natural appearance of water. When examining a map, areas marked in blue clearly indicate where water is located, making it easier for users to identify waterways and aquatic regions at a glance.

In contrast, other colors serve different purposes; black traditionally denotes roads or urban areas, red might indicate major transportation routes or important landmarks, and green is commonly used to represent parks or forests. This color coding creates a consistent visual language that aids in map reading and understanding. Therefore, recognizing blue as the representative color for water aligns with a standard that is widely used and understood in geographical contexts.