APHUG Chapter 1 Map Projections

Mercator Projection

• Mercator Projection

• Primarily deisnged for navigation, its allowed sailors to draw straight lines between two points

• Distortion is minimal near the equator

• The main drawback is that it exxagertates the size of objects as the approach the poles

• Eurocentrism- Critics say that it favorizes the countries in the Northern Hemisphere by exaggerating their size, while minimizing those near the equator

Gall-Peters Projecton

• Shows true relative size of landmasses, but distorts shapes making them look stretched over the equator

• Cylindrical equal-area map

Robinson Projection

• Aesthetic, used most in class

• Rounded edges and slightly oval shape, which helps reduce the harsh visual distortion of polar regions

• Compromises between area and shape, it does not preserve any one perfectly but keeps all distortions relatively low.

Goodes Homolosine Projections

• Equal Area- it preserves the relative sizes of landmasses

• Interrupted map preserves landmasses to show true spatial distribution

• The splits in the map break the continuity of the oceans (in land-based versions) or continents, which can make global navigation or understanding of ocean connectivity difficult.

Polar/Azimuthal Projection

• A planar map created by projecting the Earth’s surface onto a flat plane tangent to one of the poles

• Shows true directions from the central pole

• Distortion increases toward the edges, while the center remains highly accurate

• Doesn’t show all of the world

Fuller-Dymaxion Projection

• A unique interrupted map projection that displays the Earths continents contiguous landmass

• It breaks the oceans rather than the land, allowing for a between view of global relationships, migration patterns and resource distribution

• It is intended for visualizng global patterns and connections rather than navigating or measuring cardinal directions.