Question

The land on either side of a principal meridian is divided into six-mile-wide strips that run north and south parallel to the meridian, and the strips of land are called ranges.

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

The statement is true; the Public Land Survey System uses principal meridians to divide land into six-mile-wide strips called ranges.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that the land on either side of a principal meridian is divided into six-mile-wide strips that run north and south parallel to the meridian, and that these strips of land are called ranges, is true.

The Public Land Survey System, which was introduced by Thomas Jefferson, divides land into townships and ranges. The basic unit of this grid system is the township, which is a square parcel of land six miles on each side. A township is further sub-divided into 36 sections, each one square mile (640 acres). These sections can be further divided into smaller parcels for sale and settlement.

This grid system contrasts with the metes and bounds system which is based on natural features, leading to irregularly shaped properties and causing challenges in determining precise property lines.