Map Projections
Map Skills
Perspectives
Directions
Wild Card
100
This is the term for transforming the Earth's three-dimensional spherical surface onto a flat piece of paper or screen.
What is map projection?
100
This feature on a map helps you interpret symbols and colors on special purpose and physical maps.
What is a key or legend?
100
Map projections always introduce this problem when converting from 3D to 2D.
What is distortion?
100
This imaginary line of latitude, measured at 0°, divides the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
What is the Equator?
100
This professional creates maps using mathematical formulas.
What is a cartographer?
200
This projection, created in 1569, turns the globe into a cylinder and is best used for navigation, but exaggerates the size of land near the poles.
What is the Mercator Projection
200
These four main directions are shown on a compass.
Question: What are North, South, East, and West (or cardinal directions)?
200
These are the four properties that can be distorted on maps:
What are shape, distance, direction, and area?
200
This imaginary line of longitude, measured at 0°, runs through Greenwich, England and divides the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
Question: What is the Prime Meridian?
200
The Mercator projection has the most distortion in these two regions of Earth. Question:
What are the North and South Poles
300
On the Mercator projection, Greenland appears roughly the same size as this continent, even though in reality this continent is nearly 14 times larger.
What is Africa?
300
This map feature shows distance on a map versus real distance.
What is a scale?
300
The idea that this direction is "up" on maps is a cultural convention, not a scientific necessity, influenced by European mapmakers.
What is North?
300
These lines run parallel around the world and measure distance North and South of the equator from 0° to 90°.
What are lines of latitude?
300
An example of AI being a useful tool is...
Multiple Answers Correct
400
This projection represents areas correctly and proportionally, so if South America is 8 times larger than Greenland on a globe, it will be 8 times bigger on the map.
What is the Equal Area (or Peters) Projection?
400
These maps show clear borders between countries, states, cities, and counties.
What are political maps?
400
These societies had South at the top of their Maps, due to the location important religious/geographic landmarks
Early Islam/ Ancient Egypt
400
These lines run North and South between the poles and measure distance East and West from 0° to 180°.
What are lines of longitude?
400
What bias is created by the Mercator Projection?
It Exaggerates the size of Northern Areas.
500
This projection is frequently used in classrooms, distorts both size and shape but not much, and is considered a compromise projection with uninterrupted oceans.
What is the Robinson Projection?
500
These maps show physical features like mountain ranges, valleys, and deserts
What are physical maps?
500
This is the main advantage of the Mercator projection that made it valuable for sailors and ship navigators.
What is showing true direction (or accurate directional relationships)?
500
The Polar (or Azimuthal) projection is most accurate in this region and is used by airline pilots to plot the best route around the globe.
What are the poles (or polar regions)?
600
This projection interrupts the oceans and minimizes distortion in the shape and size of land masses, making tThis projection interrupts the oceans and minimizes distortion in the shape and size of land masses, making them appear relatively large compared to the oceans.
What is the Goode Projection?
600
These maps show specific information like natural resources, cultural concepts, or movement of people, and are useless without a key.
What are special purpose maps?
600
This is the imaginary line that a planet spins around.
What is an axis?