Why every flat map stretches something

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Kira studies a Mercator world map. Where does it stretch land the most?

   • In the middle of the oceans
   • Near the equator
   • By the same amount everywhere
   • Near the North and South Poles
2. 2.

   Canada lies mostly north of 49° N. Indonesia lies between about 6° N and 11° S. Which one does Luz's Mercator map make look too big by more?

   • Indonesia
   • Neither; Mercator keeps sizes
   • Canada
   • Both by the same amount
3. 3.

   Russia lies between about 41° N and 82° N. Australia lies between about 10° S and 44° S. Which looks too big by more on Milo's Mercator map?

   • Russia
   • Both by the same amount
   • Australia
   • Neither; Mercator keeps sizes

4. Read this first

   Use the table

   Place	Real area (million km²)
   Africa	30
   Canada	10.0

   Data: Wikidata and Wikipedia, read Nov 11, 2026, rounded.

5. 4.

   Noah compares real areas for a report. About how many times as big as Canada is Africa?

   • About 20 times as big
   • About 10 times as big
   • About the same size
   • About 3 times as big
6. 5.

   Pia checks the table. About how many times as big as Australia is Antarctica?

   • About 10 times as big
   • About the same size
   • About 6 times as big
   • About 2 times as big
8. 6.

   Tala's report shows which countries cover the most land. Which map would show those sizes fairly?

   • A Mercator map
   • A compromise map such as the Robinson
   • A city street map
   • An equal-area map
9. 7.

   A ship's navigator in Zee's story wants to steer one compass direction across the ocean. Which map shows that path as a straight line?

   Use the picture in question 6.

   • An equal-area map
   • A compromise map such as the Robinson
   • A city street map
   • A Mercator map
11. 8.

    Bo looks at two world maps side by side. On which map would Canada look bigger than it really is?

    • Both maps, by the same amount
    • Map Y, which keeps sizes
    • Neither map
    • Map X, which keeps shapes
12. 9.

    Esme sees two world maps side by side. On which map can Africa's size be compared fairly with Russia's?

    Use the picture in question 8.

    • Neither map; use a city street map
    • Map X, where shapes stay true
    • Map Y, where sizes stay in proportion
    • Either map, since both are maps of Earth
13. 10.

    Jun sees Antarctica drawn as a huge band across the bottom of one map. Which map is that most likely?

    Use the picture in question 8.

    • Map Y, which stretches land near the equator
    • Map Y, which squashes land near the poles
    • Map X, which stretches land near the poles
    • Neither; flat maps leave Antarctica as it is