Reading a Map
From early explorer's drawings to sophisticated GPS, take a journey with this trivia game featuring maps.
15 questions · Published April 4, 2022
Trivia questions (5 of 15)
- Multiple Choice
1. The science of studying and making maps is known as _______________.
Cartography is the science of studying and making maps. Maps are used for navigation as well as conveying information about specific areas.
- Multiple Choice
2. What political pundit and former congressman can freehand draw a US map from memory?
Al Franken started drawing maps of the U.S. after losing a bar bet to name all 50 states, later reasoning that drawing a map would prevent leaving out any states. He draws the map at public speaking events and as gifts for charity auctions.
- Multiple Choice
3. According to the map Christopher Columbus followed, he was headed for ________.
Scholars now say Columbus believed he had found Japan when he sighted the Bahamas on his first voyage. He had been seeking a western route from Spain to Asia for trade purposes.
This map shows Spain in the upper left above Africa, and Japan in the upper right, with the Americas completely missing.
- Multiple Choice
4. What is the name given to the fictional towns or details that mapmakers intentionally add to identify copyright violations?
Paper towns have long been a tool used by printed mapmakers to protect their copyrights. Today, Google Maps and other digital map producers use similar tactics.
The novel "Paper Towns" helped introduce the term to mainstream usage.
- Multiple Choice
5. What is the area of a map that explains the symbols used, provides mileage scale, and includes other details important to correctly reading the map?
A map's legend helps users interpret the information presented on a map and can range from very simple to quite complex. The word "legend" is derived from the Latin legenda meaning "that which must be read."
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