What feature is often represented in reddish brown color on a map?

The feature that is often represented in reddish brown color on a map is urban areas, as this color is commonly used in cartography to indicate developed land that typically includes cities and towns. Urban areas are typically associated with dense population and infrastructure, and the reddish brown color helps to visually distinguish them from rural or undeveloped lands. In many mapping conventions, such as those used in topographic or political maps, urban regions utilize this color scheme to make it easier for readers to identify areas of human habitation and development at a glance.

In contrast, contour lines usually appear in other shades such as black or dark brown to delineate elevation changes; vegetation may be represented in green tones to signify different types of flora; and sand dunes are typically shown in light yellow or tan to represent arid landscapes. Thus, the choice of reddish brown for urban areas is consistent with established mapping practices that facilitate the understanding of geographic features.