Map

A map is a 2D, or in rare cases, 3D representation of a geographical or urban location. It can come in various types, including political maps that detail territories and locations of cities, physical maps, which detail the environmental factors of areas in a similar manner to satellite images, road maps for detailing various routes in a given area, and topographical maps, which detail the elevation of a given area.

Usage
During the Virtuous Mission and Operation Snake Eater, CIA agent Naked Snake utilized a topographic map of Tselinoyarsk as a means to navigate the Soviet region for his missions.

During the San Hieronymo Takeover in 1970, various maps were also included in some secret documents pertaining to various locations on the base. Big Boss also discovered a map of Costa Rica at the Puerto del Alba facility during the 1974 Peace Walker Incident, although it only printed the various locations on the map, not labelling any routes to access them.

By the 1990s, most maps were recorded and displayed digitally onto devices such as the Reactive Radar, and during the 2000s, the Soliton Radar.

Behind the scenes
The map was a frequent gameplay element of the various radar systems in the Metal Gear games. In Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, however, the player has to use the Survival Viewer to access the map. The map in Snake Eater allows the player to locate where the player had placed various traps (such as mouse traps), and was also essential for the boss battle against The End, as it detailed potential sniping positions that The End could utilize.