Map Projections

Map Projections Oscar Weinstein

The globe is not meant to be flat. Nevertheless, people have been trying to portray it as such for centuries, squashing something that is meant to be three dimensional into two dimensions. This particular version of the globe is called a map projection. People make map projections because carrying a globe around everywhere is difficult, no matter what size. A small one shows too little detail. A larger one is difficult to transport and hard to study. There is more than one kind of map projections. The typical map projections seen today are: cylindrical, conical, and azimuthal (equal area or mathematical).

The oldest type of map projection is the cylindrical projection. The cylindrical projection was conceived by Gerhardus Mercator. He designed it so that sailors could easily navigate the oceans. They needed this because their maps did not correctly portray the earth as being spherical. Mercator put a candle in the middle of an opaque or clear globe and traced the continents onto a piece of paper. This kind of map projection has a few problems, known as distortion. For example, this kind of projection portrays Greenland as being bigger than the continent of South America. According to this map, Antarctica is ready to swallow up the other six continents. The Mercator projection is the kind of projection most used by schools today. It’s cheap, and it does give the students a general idea of where the continents are, even if it makes them think that Greenland is enormous. In fact, Greenland is actually about fifteen times smaller than the South American continent.


Conical projections, such as the Lambert Conical projection, have less distortion than the Mercator cylindrical projection. However, conical projections are not practical for viewing the whole globe at a time. They distort area, but leave shapes intact. Looking at a conical projection is rather confusing when trying to view the whole globe. It is a little less confusing to look at only one hemisphere at a time. Countries that stretch a long distance from east to west, Such as Russia and Canada, use conical maps. The conical projection is the most accurate at the touch point, which is the central circular line. For example, the touch point on a map projection of the country of Canada would be close to the North Pole.


Azimuthal, or equal area projections, show the curvature of the earth with less distortion than a conical or Mercator projection. However, azimuthal projections are designed to show smaller regions of the globe. These maps are most useful to sailors and aviators because they show great circle routes. A great circle route shows the shortest way to get from one point to the next. The Goodes-Homolosine equal area projection shows the earth with minimal distortion, and it shows true direction. There is one catch, however. The map portrays giant rifts in the oceans. Laying the globe flat is like trying to lay an orange flat. Gaps in the peel must be created in order to make it lay completely level, and not have overlapping peels. There are not giant gaps in the ocean, which is why the Lambert azimuthal projection is more widely used. Azimuthal projections all require the use of math. Cartographers use a combination of geometry and trigonometry to make sure that the distance and shapes are as accurate as possible. Making a mathematical projection involves a fair amount of calculating on a computer. In fact, making a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) map takes using primarily computers to complete.



Human beings have always been fascinated with the world around them. They observe everything about their surroundings from the time they are born until death. People have been projecting this spheroid called earth onto a two dimensional plane for centuries. Although the earth is not meant to be flat, people are doing an exceptional job of making it so to this day with cylindrical, conical, and azimuthal maps. New map technology, such as GIS, is developing rapidly. Who knows how human beings will project their world in the years to come?