MAP PROJECTIONS, MERCATOR DISTORTION AND THE EQUAL EARTH PROJECTION
6 September 2026
MAP PROJECTIONS, MERCATOR DISTORTION AND THE EQUAL EARTH PROJECTION
1. Meaning and Purpose of Maps:
- A map is a two-dimensional representation of the Earth’s three-dimensional surface, used to locate, measure and understand geographical phenomena.
- Since the Earth is approximately spherical, converting it into a flat map inevitably produces some distortion; no single projection can simultaneously preserve true area, shape, distance and direction everywhere.
2. The Mercator Projection:
- Gerardus Mercator introduced the famous Mercator projection in 1569, primarily to facilitate navigation because lines of constant compass bearing appear as straight lines.
- It is a conformal projection, meaning that local shapes and angles are preserved reasonably well, but area becomes increasingly exaggerated towards the poles.
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Explore map projections, Mercator distortion, and the 2026 UN Equal Earth initiative. Learn how cartography shapes geographical perception and representation.
Keywords
map projectionsMercator projectionEqual Earth projectioncartographic distortionmap accuracygeographic representationUN resolutionTogo initiativeconformal projectionequal-area maps