ABSTRACT
Let’s start the argument about color not being that important with this question: Is color what you remember about the most famous maps you’ve seen? No? What is it about those maps that you remember most, then? Was it the underlying message, the really well-organized features, the immaculate presentation of the information, the dragons in the ocean? Some of the most ubiquitous and well-regarded maps in the United States are the U.S. Geological Survey’s topographic maps. Yes, I can recall off the top of my head that those maps have brown contour lines and maybe a green background for certain features, but I do not recall any of the other colors on those maps. I also probably couldn’t tell you what colors are on Google Map’s interface, but I use it all the time.
