Reference maps and Thematic maps are the broad categories of maps
The Mercator map was created in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator. The projection's creator wanted to create a map that would be helpful in navigating the world's seas. The map is set up on a useful grid. However, the map is clearly distorted! At the north and south ends of the map, Antarctica and Greenland are just two examples of landforms that appear far bigger than they should. Areas and distances are not portrayed accurately on this map
Google Earth uses a Simple Cylindrical (Plate Carree) Projection with a WGS84 datum for its imagery base. Altitude is measured from the vertical datum (WGS84 EGM96 Geoid).This is a simple map projection where the meridians and parallels are equidistant, straight lines, with the two sets crossing at right angles. This projection is also known as Lat/Lon WGS84.
The term for a map created by wrapping a piece of paper around a globe is called a "globe projection." This method helps to represent the three-dimensional surface of the Earth on a two-dimensional plane while attempting to maintain accurate proportions and relationships. One common type of globe projection is the "mercator projection," which distorts size for the sake of shape and angles.
When you try to represent the surface of a globe on a flat map, you encounter distortion because the Earth is a three-dimensional sphere, while a flat map is two-dimensional. This process, known as map projection, involves transforming the curved surface into a flat plane, which can distort areas, shapes, distances, and directions. Different projection methods prioritize different aspects, leading to trade-offs; for example, the Mercator projection preserves angles but distorts size, especially near the poles. Consequently, no flat map can perfectly represent the globe without some compromise.
Projection maps of Earth are created in various ways to address the challenges of representing a three-dimensional surface on a two-dimensional plane. Each projection, such as the Robinson, Mercator, and conic projections, emphasizes different aspects of geography, such as area, shape, or distance, catering to specific needs in navigation, education, or thematic mapping. The choice of projection affects how features are depicted, making it essential to select the appropriate type based on the map's intended use. Ultimately, the diversity of projections reflects the complexity of accurately portraying our planet’s surface.
Two points a region
Two common map projections are Mercator and the Robinson Projection.
All two dimensional (flat) maps (called projections) of the surface of the Earth have distortion. Several projections are used to create such maps and each is better for some uses and not others. There is no most distorted projection. It depends on the intended use for the map.
Map projection is a technique used to represent the three-dimensional surface of the Earth onto a two-dimensional map. This helps to minimize distortion of the Earth's features such as shape, area, distance, and direction when mapping different regions.
The Mercator map was created in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator. The projection's creator wanted to create a map that would be helpful in navigating the world's seas. The map is set up on a useful grid. However, the map is clearly distorted! At the north and south ends of the map, Antarctica and Greenland are just two examples of landforms that appear far bigger than they should. Areas and distances are not portrayed accurately on this map
In a projection, elements like shapes, sizes, distances, and angles can be distorted. This distortion occurs because projecting a three-dimensional object onto a two-dimensional surface inevitably involves some degree of simplification and alteration of the original object's properties.
A projection.
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A flat map of the Earth is commonly referred to as a "map projection." Various types of map projections exist, each designed to represent the Earth's curved surface in a two-dimensional format while attempting to minimize distortions in area, shape, distance, or direction. Examples include the Mercator projection and the Robinson projection. Each projection serves different purposes depending on the needs of the user.
Charles Henry Deetz has written: 'Lambert projection tables with conversion tables' -- subject(s): Map projection 'Cartography' -- subject(s): Cartography 'The Lambert conformal conic projection with two standard parallels including a comparison of the Lambert projection with the Bonne and Polyconic projections' -- subject(s): Map projection
A projection in geography is a way to represent the Earth's three-dimensional surface on a two-dimensional map. Different map projections distort properties like distance, area, shape, or direction in order to accurately represent the curved surface of the Earth on a flat map. There are many types of map projections, each with its own strengths and weaknesses depending on the purpose of the map.
A system of mapping the round earth on a flat surface is called a map projection. Map projections are used to represent the Earth's curved surface on a two-dimensional map. Different map projections have different strengths and weaknesses depending on the purpose of the map.