Map projection Notes
Source: http://www.curriculumonline.ie/en/Primary_School_Curriculum/Social_Environmental_and_
Scientific_Education_SESE_/Geography/Geography_Teacher_Guidelines/Approaches_and_methodologies
/Atlases,_globes_and_map_projections/Atlases,_globes_and_map_projections.html?print=1
The Challenge:
Imagine the outline of the earth’s land masses drawn on an orange. Then peel the
orange. The result would look something like this:
On an actual map, the spaces between the orange peel are filled in to create a finished
map. The resulting distortion of the land masses is unavoidable. Cartographers have to
decide what the purpose of the map is to be and choose the distortion that has the least
impact on that.
Given the challenge of representing a 3 dimensional earth surface on a flat surface,
cartographers have adopted a number of strategies to produce acceptable maps. These
seek to represent:



the true shape of the continents or seas, or
the true area of a part of the Earth, or
true relative direction.
It is impossible to represent all three characteristics accurately on the same map, so
each map projection sacrifices the accuracy of one.

Mercator's projection (example A below): designed by the Flemish geographer
Gerhardus Mercator (1512-1594). This projection, which was used by navigators,
preserves true direction and allows the setting of accurate courses using
compass points. However, parallels of latitude are shown to be of equal length
(while in fact they decrease in size in the higher latitudes) and the distance
shown between parallels increases towards the poles. This means that areas
furthest from the Equator (including Europe) are exaggerated in size. Compare
the relative sizes of Africa, Greenland, Europe and Australia on a globe and on
this map projection and then speculate on how this might have influenced our
view of the importance of Europe and Africa.

Peters' projection (example B below): this is an equal area projection designed
to ensure that the true relative area of different sections of the globe is
represented accurately. This projection addresses the exaggeration in the size of
areas such as Europe in the Mercator projection, hence its popularity in
development education. Compare the relative size of Europe and Africa on
Peters' projection and on a Mercator map. Similarly, a map of natural
vegetation using Peters' projection would provide a much clearer sense of the
relative areas covered by rainforest, tundra, desert, temperate grassland, etc.
However, this area accuracy is achieved at the expense of the shape of different
features, as comparisons with the globe will demonstrate.

Mollweide's projection (example C below): this is an equal-area projection in
ellipse form designed by Karl Mollweide (1774-1825). Scales along the Equator
and the other parallels are constant and so the shape of the continents is
portrayed more accurately than on Peters' projection. However, the outer areas
of the map are 'warped' and some distortion of the Equatorial area also occurs.
By choosing to place the centre meridian of this map at the area of most
interest, the worst effects of this distortion can be avoided but the outer parts of
the map will always be distorted to some extent. Suggest some ways in which
this projection might be of practical use.

Gall's projection (example D below): this map attempts to reach a compromise
between true shape and true area. It is probably the best all-purpose projection
for general classroom use but it is important for children to realise that it too
cannot be completely accurate. Have you ever seen this projection before? If it
is so accurate, why don’t we use it more?
A
B
C
D
World map projections: A-Mercator's projection, B-Peters' projection, C-Mollweide's
projection, D-Gall's projection.
The Politics of Maps:
Authors, particularly those interested in development education, frequently point to the
habit of centring world maps on the Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude) so that
Europe appears to be at the centre of the world. It is suggested that this can lead to an
unconscious 'Eurocentric' view of the world. In maps used in American schools, the
American continent tends to be at the centre and those used in Australian schools are
centred on the Pacific Ocean.
Can you suggest why these various arrangements are used and whether they may
influence our view of our own place and of the environments of others?
Mercator Europe-Centered Projection (with Antartica)
Mercator Pacific-Centered Projection
If you consider that in outer space there is no meaning to the words “north” or “south”
or “up” or “down”, then the way we represent the earth on paper becomes much more
subjective. Why can’t we orient our maps by the poles? Or with “south “ as “up”?
(Note: consider in the English language what the connotation of the words “up” vs
“down” or “north” vs. “south” are.)
Polar Projection
Upside Down World Map
Round the World
Source: http://flourish.org/upsidedownmap/
Arabia (Ancient): They put south at the top. This is because when you wake up and face
the sun, south is on the right. Because of positive associations with the right as opposed
to left, they put that on top. Yemen is so named because it is on the "yamin" right of
Arabia. And of course, with the sea to the south of them there was nothing "on top" of
the country, so they prefered it that way. Europeans learnt mapmaking from the
Arabians and flipped the map to make themselves on top.
Arctic/Antarctic: A natural map of the poles has either south or north at the top and at
the bottom - indeed, in all directions. Unusually, the opposite compass direction will be
located in the centre.
Biblical Times: There is evidence from the Torah that east was at the top of maps. In
Genesis, Abraham's nephew, Lot, is captured in war and carried away. Abraham races to
the rescue. He and his men catch up with Lot's captors, and set him free, in "Chovah,
which is to the left of Damascus." (Gen. 14:15). Chovah is north of Damascus. In Psalms
89:13 it says, "The north and the right, You created them". This implies that right is
synonymous with south, so you are facing east when you read the map.
Medieval Europe: Jerusalem was on top because that was the Holy Land. This meant
that east was more or less at the top.
China (Ancient): The Chinese were the first to invent the compass, which they always
thought of as pointing south. South was a sacred direction, in ceremony the king would
always face south.
China / Japan: In modern times, Chinese and Japanese maps are split at the Atlantic, so
they have Japan right in the middle and China near the center.
Egypt (Ancient): The pyramids are aligned with true north. This was calculated using a
grouping of stars that they believed to be holy because the pharaoh's "spirit" would
travel there after death. However, they also thought that "up" was south because of the
northwards flow of the Nile; rivers must flow "downwards".
India (Ancient): Sanskrit "daksa" means 'able, strong, dexterous'; whence "daksina"
meaning both 'right' and 'south'. Presumably this indicates that they used maps with
East at the top.
New Zealand: Upsidedown or "corrected" maps are becoming more popular, especially
with tourists. For example, a tea towel with such a map saying "no longer down under".
Russia: The former Soviet Union placed its maps with the USSR at the center.