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# MapKit overlays

Create overlays to highlight geographic regions or paths.

## Topics

### Samples

[Displaying overlays on a map](/documentation/MapKit/displaying-overlays-on-a-map)

Add regions of layered content to a map view.

[Displaying an updating path of a user’s location history](/documentation/MapKit/displaying-an-updating-path-of-a-user-s-location-history)

Continually update a MapKit overlay displaying the path a user travels.

### Circular overlays

[`class MKCircle`](/documentation/MapKit/MKCircle)

A circular overlay with a configurable radius that you center on a geographic coordinate.

[`class MKCircleRenderer`](/documentation/MapKit/MKCircleRenderer)

The visual representation of a circular overlay.

### Custom shape overlays

[`class MKPolygon`](/documentation/MapKit/MKPolygon)

A closed polygon overlay.

[`class MKPolygonRenderer`](/documentation/MapKit/MKPolygonRenderer)

The visual representation of a single polygon overlay.

[`class MKMultiPolygon`](/documentation/MapKit/MKMultiPolygon)

A collection of multiple closed polygon overlays.

[`class MKMultiPolygonRenderer`](/documentation/MapKit/MKMultiPolygonRenderer)

The visual representation of multiple polygon overlays.

[`class MKOverlayPathRenderer`](/documentation/MapKit/MKOverlayPathRenderer)

The visual representation of a path-based overlay.

### Multiple segment lines

[`class MKPolyline`](/documentation/MapKit/MKPolyline)

An open polygon overlay consisting of one or more connected line segments.

[`class MKGeodesicPolyline`](/documentation/MapKit/MKGeodesicPolyline)

An open polygon overlay consisting of line segments that follow the contours of the Earth to create the shortest path between the specified points.

[`class MKMultiPolyline`](/documentation/MapKit/MKMultiPolyline)

A collection of multipolyline shapes, each consisting of one or more connected line segments.

[`class MKPolylineRenderer`](/documentation/MapKit/MKPolylineRenderer)

A visual representation of any polyline overlay object.

[`class MKMultiPolylineRenderer`](/documentation/MapKit/MKMultiPolylineRenderer)

A visual representation of multiple polyline overlay objects.

[`class MKGradientPolylineRenderer`](/documentation/MapKit/MKGradientPolylineRenderer)

A visual representation of any polyline overlay object with a gradient.

### Tiled image overlays

[`class MKTileOverlay`](/documentation/MapKit/MKTileOverlay)

An overlay that covers an area of the map with tiles of bitmap images.

[`class MKTileOverlayRenderer`](/documentation/MapKit/MKTileOverlayRenderer)

The renderer for a tile overlay that handles the drawing of bitmap images on the map surface.

### Shared behavior

[`protocol MKOverlay`](/documentation/MapKit/MKOverlay)

An interface for associating content with a specific map region.

[`class MKOverlayRenderer`](/documentation/MapKit/MKOverlayRenderer)

The shared infrastructure for drawing overlays on the map surface.

[`class MKShape`](/documentation/MapKit/MKShape)

An abstract class that defines the basic properties for all shape-based overlay objects.

[`class MKMultiPoint`](/documentation/MapKit/MKMultiPoint)

An abstract class that defines the common behavior that open and closed polygon overlays share.

[`class MKPlacemark`](/documentation/MapKit/MKPlacemark)

A user-friendly description of a location on the map.


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