Why would a geographer choose a Robinson projection for a reference map in a textbook?(1 point)
The Robinson projection creates a map with completely accurate shapes.
The Robinson projection creates a map with accurate directions, making it a more precise representation.
The Robinson projection creates a map with minimal size and shape distortion, making it easier to read.
The Robinson projection creates an equal-area map, accurately showing the size of landmasses.
The Robinson projection creates a map with minimal size and shape distortion, making it easier to read.
To understand why a geographer might choose a Robinson projection for a reference map in a textbook, let's analyze the options provided and their implications.
1. The Robinson projection does NOT create a map with completely accurate shapes. Like most map projections, the Robinson projection involves some distortion in shape, particularly in high latitudes.
2. The Robinson projection DOES create a map with accurate directions, which means it preserves the correct cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) from any point on the map to another. This can be beneficial for navigation and understanding the relative locations of different places.
3. The Robinson projection DOES create a map with minimal size and shape distortion. While it is impossible to completely eliminate distortion when representing the Earth's curved surface on a flat map, the Robinson projection attempts to balance the distortion across the entire map, resulting in a map that is generally pleasing to the eye and easy to read.
4. The Robinson projection DOES create an equal-area map. This means that the sizes of landmasses are depicted accurately in relation to one another. This aspect can be useful, especially when highlighting the relative sizes of countries or continents.
Considering these points, the most suitable answer would be "The Robinson projection creates a map with minimal size and shape distortion, making it easier to read." This projection strikes a balance between accurately representing shapes and directions while minimizing spatial distortions, making it a popular choice for general reference maps in textbooks.