hardlogic

What has cities, but no houses; forests, but no trees; and water, but no fish?

A map

Why this works

This riddle plays on the meanings of words and how they can differ from their usual associations. When we think of cities, forests, and water, we typically envision the physical locations filled with houses, trees, and fish. However, a map represents these features symbolically: it shows cities as dots or names, forests as shaded areas, and water bodies as blue lines or shapes, but it doesn’t contain any of the actual elements themselves. Thus, the clever twist lies in recognizing that a map illustrates these concepts without embodying them in a literal sense!

Common Wrong Answers

“A globe”

While a globe shows cities, forests, and water, it actually represents them in a three-dimensional form and has a physical surface, unlike a map which only represents these features symbolically.

“A computer game”

A computer game may have virtual cities, forests, and bodies of water, but it doesn't fit the criteria of having no houses, trees, or fish in the same symbolic way as a map does.

“The internet”

The internet consists of numerous data and resources related to cities, forests, and water, but it doesn't represent them visually in the way a map does, which is the main focus of the riddle.

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