Riddle: I have cities but no houses, forests but no trees, and rivers but no water. What am I?
Answer: A map
Riddle Explanation + Meaning
A map is a representation of geographical areas on a flat surface.
It shows different places, like cities, forests, and rivers, but it doesn't have the physical objects themselves.
So, when the riddle mentions having cities but no houses, it means that a map marks the locations of cities without showing the actual buildings.
Forests without trees means the map shows wooded areas without detailing every tree.
And rivers without water means it indicates the paths rivers take without being wet.
Maps are tools that help us understand and navigate the layout of the land, but they only provide symbols and lines to represent real-life features.
This riddle cleverly highlights the symbolic nature of maps by contrasting real-world elements with their graphical representations.