What is the relationship between townships and sections in the rectangular government survey system?

In the rectangular government survey system, townships serve as larger administrative units that are organized into a grid system across the land. A township typically measures six miles by six miles and is divided into smaller units known as sections. Each township contains 36 sections, with each section being one square mile, or 640 acres.

This hierarchical structure is crucial for land description, management, and taxation purposes. Understanding that townships are divided into sections helps in locating specific parcels of land and makes it easier to reference properties within a given geographic area. Thus, the relationship is clearly defined, where townships function as the overarching framework that contains multiple, smaller sections, making option D the accurate choice.