Elevation is distance above sea level.

Elevations are usually measured in meters or feet. They can be shown on maps by contour lines, which connect points with the same elevation; by bands of color; or by numbers giving the exact elevations of particular points on the Earth's surface. Maps that show elevations are called topographic maps.

Elevation influences climate, as well as where and how people live. Most of the worlds people live on coastal plains at elevations of 150 meters (500 feet) or less. Some cultures have adapted to higher elevations. In Tibet, a region in central Asia, people live at elevations as great as 5,334 meters (17,500 feet). Above this elevation, the climate becomes too cold for growing crops, and there is also not enough oxygen in the air to sustain human life.