What is the description of boundary lines that includes their terminal points and angles known as?

The description of boundary lines, incorporating their terminal points and angles, is known as Metes and Bounds. This method of land description is one of the oldest systems in surveying and relies on physical landmarks, distances (metes), and angles along the property's edges. Metes refers to the distances between points, while bounds refer to the direction or boundaries marked by natural or man-made features.

This technique is particularly useful in irregularly shaped parcels of land where straightforward geometric measurements aren’t applicable. Metes and Bounds descriptions are recorded in legal documents and help in clearly defining property lines, which is crucial for ownership, development, and addressing disputes.

Other approaches, such as plats and surveys or coordinates and lines, focus on different aspects of land measurement and mapping, often utilizing grids or standardized referencing rather than the descriptive format that Metes and Bounds offers. This makes Metes and Bounds a unique and essential concept in the realm of land surveying.