Why do you need to memorize the map when you have a map? Filling in the US states on a map is busy work, but reasoning why the locations of the states relative

Why do you need to memorize the map when you have a map? Filling in the US states on a map is busy work, but reasoning why the locations of the states relative to each other by looking at a map is important. Dates are only important as they relate to each other, their specifics are almost always meaningless. There's a difference between rote memorization and committing to memory through practice. I mean, there is still some rote memorization needed at times, but you want to minimize it as much as possible.