Which grid system is best described as suitable for very small, long and narrow areas with the long axis in the direction of a meridian or parallel?

• A. British Grid
• B. Universal Transverse Mercator
• C. World Polyconic
• D. Orthomorphic

Answer: (A)

When a map area is very small but long and narrow, and its longer dimension runs along a meridian or a parallel, you want a projection that keeps distortion minimal along that length. The Transverse Mercator family does exactly that: it uses a central meridian so scale is most accurate along that line and distortion grows as you move away, which is ideal for slender shapes oriented north–south (or along a single meridian).

The British Grid is built on this idea for the Great Britain region, providing a local, consistent grid in which distances and coordinates stay reliable for features that are long and narrow within that area. Its design focuses on minimizing distortion across the country’s extent and along its principal north–south axis, making it a natural fit for such shapes.

Other systems don’t align as well with a very small, elongated area. A global system divided into zones can complicate measurements if the area sits near zone boundaries, and a polyconic or an orthomorphic scheme isn’t optimized for the specific behavior of distortion along a single long axis in a narrow region.