Which projection type is designed so that areas on the map are proportional to their areas on the globe?

• A. Equal-area projections
• B. Grid
• C. Combination Sheet
• D. Geostenography

Answer: (A)

Equal-area projections are designed so that areas on the map reflect their true proportions on Earth. In these maps, a region that is twice as large in reality appears about twice as large on the map, because the projection scales areas consistently across the surface. This keeps the size of geographic units proportional, even though shapes may be distorted, especially toward the edges or at high latitudes. Examples include Mollweide and cylindrical equal-area projections. The other terms listed don’t describe a projection whose purpose is to preserve area, since a grid is just a network of lines, and the others aren’t standard projection types.