The U.S. rectangular survey system is described as:

• A. It established 42 initial beginning points.
• B. It is the basis for the creation of townships and sections.
• C. It is both a and b.
• D. It is neither a nor b.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is how the rectangular survey system constructs land descriptions. It uses principal meridians and baselines that intersect at initial points, and from those intersections a standardized grid is laid out. This grid creates townships that are six miles on each side and divides each township into 36 one-square-mile sections. Because those initial points anchor the meridian-baseline framework and that framework defines the township-and-section pattern, the system is described as both establishing initial points and serving as the basis for the creation of townships and sections. In other words, the two aspects are parts of the same surveying framework, which is why describing it as both is the most complete and accurate statement.