Maps represent the surface of the Earth at various scales and levels of generalization.
They are like a window to the world. The first known map has been dated to approximately 2500 B.C. and was found in Babylonia or what is now Iraq. The map was drawn on a clay tablet and showed land boundaries most likely used to keep peace among landowners. However, many believe that the first map was drawn much before this time, perhaps drawn in the sand as a representation of the surrounding landscape. The very first maps were mental maps.