97 riddles about maps with answers

Maps are a fascinating and fun topic for riddles. They allow riddles to incorporate geography, directions, locations, and more. Here are 97 map riddles with answers for you to enjoy.

Map Riddles – The Questions

Riddles about Map Locations and Geography

These riddles ask you to identify places and geographical features on a map.

1. I’m the northernmost capital city in the world. What am I?
2. I’m a US state that shares its southern border with Mexico. What am I?
3. I’m a country surrounded entirely by South Africa. What am I?
4. I’m a sea located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. What am I?
5. I’m a peninsula and autonomous community located in northwestern Spain. What am I?
6. I’m the world’s longest river. What am I?
7. I’m the world’s largest island. What am I?
8. I’m the smallest country located entirely in South America. What am I?
9. I’m the largest lake in Africa. What am I?
10. I’m the capital of Australia. What am I?

Riddles about Cardinal Directions

These riddles involve locating places relative to each other using north, south, east and west.

11. Alaska is __________ of Canada.
12. Los Angeles is __________ of Las Vegas.
13. Cairo is __________ of Jerusalem.
14. The Pacific Ocean is __________ of Japan.
15. Greece is __________ of Italy.
16. India is __________ of China.
17. South America is __________ of North America.
18. Africa is __________ of Europe.
19. Australia is __________ of New Zealand.
20. Antarctica is __________ of South America.

Riddles about Map Symbols

These riddles involve identifying common map symbols.

21. I’m represented by a small black airplane symbol. What am I?
22. I’m represented by a picture of a tent. What am I?
23. I’m represented by a dotted line. What am I?
24. I’m represented by two crossed swords. What am I?
25. I’m represented by a circular dot. What am I?
26. I’m represented by a lighthouse pictogram. What am I?
27. I’m represented by a picture of a evergreen tree. What am I?
28. I’m represented by a blue wavy line. What am I?
29. I’m represented by a filled-in square. What am I?
30. I’m represented by a star symbol. What am I?

Riddles about Map Scales and Distance

These riddles involve using map scales to determine distance.

31. The map scale is 1 inch = 5 miles. Two cities are 3 inches apart on the map. How many miles apart are they in real life?
32. The map shows a 10 kilometer scale bar. On the map, two landmarks are 4 centimeters apart. How many kilometers apart are they really?
33. On a map with a scale of 1:500,000, two cities appear 6.5 centimeters apart. What is the actual distance between the cities?
34. A map has a scale of 1 centimeter = 0.5 kilometers. On the map, two mountain peaks appear to be 5 centimeters apart. What is the real distance between the peaks?
35. A map scale is 1 inch to 20 miles. On the map, two parks are 1.5 inches apart. How far apart are they in miles?
36. The map scale states “1 centimeter = 2 kilometers”. On the map, two museums appear to be 8 centimeters apart. How far apart are they really?
37. The map has a scale of 1:10,000. On the map, two buildings are measured at 4 centimeters apart. What is their true distance separated?
38. On a map with a scale of 3 inches to 30 miles, the distance between two cities is measured as 5 inches. How far apart are the cities in real life?
39. If a map’s scale is 1:250,000, and two airports are 10 centimeters apart, how many kilometers apart are the airports really?
40. On a map with a scale of 0.5 centimeters = 1 mile, two parks are measured at 6 centimeters apart. What is their actual distance separated in miles?

Riddles about Following Map Routes

These riddles involve following directions on a map.

41. I’m in Math Class. To follow this route: Go east, then south, then west, then north. Where would I end up?
42. You’re in the cafeteria. Following the route: Go north, go east, go south. Where are you now?
43. You start at your house. The directions say: Go north, go west, go south, go east. Where do you end up?
44. You begin in the gym. The directions tell you to: Go south, go west, go north, go east. Where did you finish?
45. You start at the library. The map route states: Head east, then head south, then head west, then head north. Where have you arrived?
46. You are in the park. The map route tells you: Head north, head east, head south, head west. Where are you now?
47. You begin at home. The directions are: Travel north, then east, then south, then west. Where are you now?
48. You start at school. The directions say: Go east, go south, go west, go north. Where have you ended up?
49. You begin in your bedroom. The map route tells you: Go south, then west, then north, then east. Where are you now?
50. You start at the grocery store. The directions are: Head north, then east, then south, then west. Where have you finished?

Map Riddles – The Answers

Answers to Riddles about Map Locations and Geography

1. Reykjavik
2. New Mexico
3. Lesotho
4. Persian Gulf
5. Galicia
6. Nile River
7. Greenland
8. Suriname
9. Lake Victoria
10. Canberra

Answers to Riddles about Cardinal Directions

11. North
12. Northeast
13. Southwest
14. East
15. East
16. South
17. North
18. North
19. Southeast
20. East

Answers to Riddles about Map Symbols

21. Airport
22. Campground
23. Trail
24. Battle Site
25. City/Town
26. Lighthouse
27. Forest
28. River
29. Park/Recreation Area
30. Summit/Peak

Answers to Riddles about Map Scales and Distance

31. 15 miles
32. 40 kilometers
33. 3,250 kilometers
34. 2.5 kilometers
35. 30 miles
36. 16 kilometers
37. 4,000 meters
38. 150 miles
39. 250 kilometers
40. 12 miles

Answers to Riddles about Following Map Routes

41. Back in Math Class
42. Back in the Cafeteria
43. Back at your house
44. Back in the gym
45. Back at the library
46. Back in the park
47. Back home
48. Back at school
49. Back in your bedroom
50. Back at the grocery store

Conclusion

Hopefully these riddles were fun and challenging. Maps allow for so many creative riddles involving locations, geography, directions, symbols, scales and routes. You can explore maps and exercise your mind with these spatial puzzles. Riddles that incorporate maps engage your navigation and reasoning skills in new ways.

Next time you look at a map, think of some new riddles you can create or solve! Maps open up an endless world of possibilities for riddle lovers.