The Geographer's Tools

The precise point on Earth where a particular place can be found is called its

• relative location

• distortion

• absolute location

• map projection

You invite a friend to play basketball at a park. You tell him the park is two blocks north of the school. You have just described the park’s

• absolute location

• latitude

• map projection

• relative location

What is the main problem with showing a spherical Earth on a flat map?

• Only globes can accurately show distances.

• The size, shape, and position of Earth’s features are distorted.

• Maps are more difficult to carry around than globes are.

• The map must be enormous to show any amount of detail.

Which statement about map projections is true?

• All map projections have some kind of distortion.

• Geographers use map projections that eliminate all distortions.

• No map projection can accurately show the sizes of places.

• All map projections distort the shapes of places.

What is the purpose of a compass rose?

• to identify symbols on a map

• to indicate directions on a map

• to tell what the map shows

• to allow people to locate any point on Earth

A synonym for map legend is map

• guide

• grid

• translator

• key

A map grid

• indicates cardinal and intermediate directions on a map.

• helps you find specific locations on a map by means of a code.

• helps you find specific locations on a map by means of a code.

• describes the area shown on the map and identifies the map’s topic.

Which of the following run east and west around the globe?

• International Date Line

• meridians of longitude

• parallels of latitude

• prime meridian

The line that marks 0° longitude is the

• equator

• International Date Line

• prime meridian

• Tropic of Capricorn

What does the map scale tell you?

• how many miles are represented by an inch on the map

• how many kilometers are represented by a centimeter on the map

• how to read the distances on a map

• all of these options