What is one of the primary purposes of a topographic map?

A topographic map serves primarily to provide a graphic representation of the earth's surface, illustrating features such as elevation, terrain shape, and natural boundaries through contour lines and symbols. This detailed depiction allows users to understand the landscape better, which is crucial for various activities, including navigation, outdoor sports, and land use planning.

While water sources, hunting zones, and road networks can be represented on some types of maps or supplementary materials, they are not the main focus of a topographic map. Such maps prioritize showing the three-dimensional form of the terrain, which helps users assess the difficulty of the landscape, plan routes, or understand features like hills, valleys, and slopes.