Mercator maps distort the shape and relative size of continents , particularly near the poles. ... The popular Mercator projection distorts the relative size of landmasses, exaggerating the size of land near the poles as compared to areas near the equator.
What is the biggest problem with Mercator projection?
Although the linear scale is equal in all directions around any point, thus preserving the angles and the shapes of small objects, the Mercator projection distorts the size of objects as the latitude increases from the equator to the poles , where the scale becomes infinite.
What is a disadvantage of a Mercator projection?
Disadvantages: Mercator projection distorts the size of objects as the latitude increases from the Equator to the poles, where the scale becomes infinite . So, for example, Greenland and Antarctica appear much larger relative to land masses near the equator than they actually are.
Why is the world map inaccurate?
Because the Earth is round, the shortest route from one place to another is a path along a circle . If we draw this route on a flat map, it passes through every line of longitude at a different angle. ... In fact, it’s still widely used today, including in online maps. But it’s still wrong!
Is the Mercator projection bias?
The Mercator Projection has many flaws and it is a prime example of how map bias can shape one’s world view . ... For example, the map shows Greenland as roughly the same size as the entire continent of Africa. However, in actuality, Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland.
What is wrong with the Robinson projection?
The Robinson projection is neither conformal nor equal-area. It generally distorts shapes, areas, distances, directions, and angles . ... Angular distortion is moderate near the center of the map and increases toward the edges. Distortion values are symmetric across the equator and the central meridian.
What are the pros and cons of the Mercator projection?
Advantage: The Mercator map projection shows the correct shapes of the continents and directions accurately . Disadvantage: The Mercator map projection does not show true distances or sizes of continents, especially near the north and south poles.
What four distortions are there in the Robinson projection?
There are four main types of distortion that come from map projections: distance, direction, shape and area .
What is the best map projection?
AuthaGraph . This is hands-down the most accurate map projection in existence. In fact, AuthaGraph World Map is so proportionally perfect, it magically folds it into a three-dimensional globe. Japanese architect Hajime Narukawa invented this projection in 1999 by equally dividing a spherical surface into 96 triangles.
Why does Google maps use Mercator?
A Google employee explained in 2009 that the company used a Mercator map because it helped preserve angles of roads : “The first launch of Maps actually did not use Mercator, and streets in high latitude places like Stockholm did not meet at right angles on the map the way they do in reality.”
Do maps lie?
But maps are created from data, and data is collected by humans. ... Maps lie in many other ways, too: with symbols, through generalizations, because of scale, by omission . Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli mused in his 2019 book, The Order of Time, about how a map’s point of view inherently warps reality.
Is Russia bigger than Africa?
mi (17 million km2), Russia is the world’s largest country. But Mercator makes it look larger than it is. Drag and drop it near the equator, and you see how truly huge Africa is: at 11.73 million sq. mi (30.37 million km2), it is almost twice the size of Russia .
Which world map is most accurate?
View the world in correct proportions with this map. You may not know this, but the world map you’ve been using since, say, kindergarten, is pretty wonky. The Mercator projection map is the most popular, but it is also riddled with inaccuracies.
What is better than Mercator projection?
The Gall-Peters projection (shown below) makes seeing the relative size of places much easier. ... Despite these benefits, the Gall-Peters projection has its flaws. It doesn’t enlarge areas as much as the Mercator projection, but certain places appear stretched, horizontally near the poles and vertically near the Equator.
Why is the Mercator projection so popular?
One of the most famous map projections is the Mercator, created by a Flemish cartographer and geographer, Geradus Mercator in 1569. It became the standard map projection for nautical purposes because of its ability to represent lines of constant true direction . ... Also, the lines of longitude are evenly spaced apart.
Can maps ever be free from bias?
But there is no such thing as a perfectly accurate map . All maps distort reality and convey bias (whether deliberately or not). With modern mapmaking software, choosing a different and perhaps more appropriate projection, depending on the area to be displayed, should be much easier.
