Because the Mercator projection is a conformal one, the shapes and angles within any small area are essentially true. These calculations enabled seafarers to transform projection measurements into degrees of latitude by facilitating navigation. On the other hand, because it is proportional, the distortion generated by Mercator does not make the objects appear more elongated or flattened, but simply larger. 11 terms. If you have a Mercator projection to use as a map, then the information it provides you is not useful for the comparison of the area of the continents. The projection of Mercator has the property of representing the angles as they are. I'd just like to mention an obsolete advantage of the Mercator projection, which I assume played a large role in its spread. List of the Advantages of the Robinson Projection. Its usefulness is limited in the polar regions of the planet. All you need is a pair of navigational protractor triangles and a parallel ruler to determine where you need to be going. List of the Pros of Mercator Projection. Specific areas of accuracy were highly desirable for publishers as a way to connect with potential customers. A straight line on Mercator translates to a rhumb line, not a great circle. For this reason, online mapping services prefer its use. It is far easier to change the scale of a map for different areas of the world than to adjust the length-width ratio, as one needs to do … Les océans et les masses continentales se … Retrieved on October 13, 2017, from britannica.org, Mercator projection. The Mercator projection becomes undefined at the north and south poles. The cylindrical projection and the Mercator projection have in common that meridians lines and lines of parallels are straight and intersect orthogonally. Advantage: The Mercator map projection shows the correct shapes of the continents and directions accurately. That means the courses and bearings that must be set are measured using protractors or wind roses, making it much easier to transfer directions from point-to-point on the map. Today Mercator's projection continues to be one of the most employed. The Transverse Mercator projection is a variant of the Mercator projection, which was originally developed by the Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator, in 1569. This map's grid is rectangular and lines of latitude and longitude are parallel throughout. --JakubNarebski 11:17, 8 December 2018 (UTC) I'm afraid you are mistaken. Since you can navigate around the top of the arctic circle, the map becomes useless because you would need to go off the map to come back onto it. More Maps. Equal Area Projection Maps Advantages and Examples. The Mercator projection is defined the way it is, because while it contains some flaws, it also holds significant advantages over other projections. Some projections minimize distortions in some of these properties at the expense of maximizing errors in others. The Mercator projection (/ m ər ˈ k eɪ t ər /) is a cylindrical map projection presented by Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. This aspect differentiates Mercator's projection from previous projections. A conic projection is formed by taking a cone and putting it over the globe. In other words, that means … The mathematics behind the Mercator projection are much simpler than other projections today. Mercator Projection Disadvantages. A1.1 The Mercator projection is an ubiquitous map projection that has existed for over 400 years and has several advantages for nautical charting with respect to rhumb lines. That means the information is more readily available to travel correctly without constant recalculations to ensure one is on the correct path. The mapmaker must select the one best suited to the needs, reducing distortion of the most important features. The average person uses a Mercator projection almost all of the time, even if they do not realize that is what they’re doing. If you want a true shape for the land … Peel it like an orange evenly into sixty segments called “zones”. Land masses larger in size at high latitudes near poles. The applications of Google Maps, Bing Maps and OpenStreetMaps are based on Mercator projection. More details.. In fact, the global positioning services of Google, Bing, OpenStretMaps and Yahoo rely on this type of cartographic projection. Specific areas of accuracy were highly desirable for publishers as a way to connect with potential customers. The Robinson projection was favorable because it produced a map where everything was accurately represented except at the extreme areas … Unless you know about the properties of this design, a casual observer would think that Greenland is literally the same size as all of Africa. The Transverse Mercator projection is a cylindrical projection often used to portray areas with larger north-south than east-west extent. The Mercator projection was developed in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator as a navigational tool. 1. Who Uses it? By using this website or by closing this dialog you agree with the conditions described, Cylindrical Projection: Mercator. References: Mercator and Lambert projections (Strahler and Strahler 1987, p. 15, Maling 1973, p. 72) note: Mercator Projection characteristics meridians and parallels intersect at right angles straight lines are lines of constant bearing - projection is useful for navigation great circles appear as curves 4. 2: ... Mercator Robinson; Creator: Gerardus Mercator (1569) Arthur H. Robinson (1963) Group: Cylindric: Pseudocylindric: Property: Conformal: Compromise: Other Names — — Remarks: Cut off at 84° North and South: Not based upon mathematical … It is also the basis for Google and Yandex maps and can be found on most GPS navigation systems known to any driver. The stretching of the map increases when moving north and south, but that also means the east-west scale remains the same as the other, preserving an accurate shape for the various continents even if there is some distortion of their size. So, for example, Greenland and Antarctica appear much larger relative to land masses near the equator than they actually are. The projection we have used is commonly known as the Mercator projection (a projection being any method of representing the surface of a sphere on to a flat plane). Miller Cylindrical Projection. Some distortions of conformality (shape), scale, distance, direction, and area always result from this processes. In this article, we look into this and you will get to know about the “Mercator Projection”, it’s advantages, benefits, how it makes naval navigation so easy and all the tricks and illusions that comes with it. This map was created as an improvement on the Robinson projection. We use cookies to provide our online service. The Mercator projection was originally developed in 1569 by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator. 8. As it is a projection is necessary the intervention of light. This means that to compensate for the north-south distortion (from pole to pole), an east-west distortion is also introduced. The Mercator projection, by comparison, grossly distorts the sizes of the continents – causing the Greenland-is-larger-than-Africa effect – but stays true to their shapes. The following equations place the x -axis of the projection on the equator and the y -axis at longitude, where is the longitude and is the latitude. Also Know, what are the advantages and disadvantages of map projections? List of the Advantages of the Robinson Projection. 1. Several advantages and disadvantages of the Robinson projection are worth taking into consideration. I have. The characteristics of the Peters projection could be called mostly positive. Gall-Peters Projection. Basically every projection has advantages and disadvantages. The Mercator projection makes it easier to navigate over long distances on our planet because of two properties: straight rhumb lines and conformality. This fulfills the conditions of a conformal map projection. The design is useful for navigators because the ship can sail in a constant compass direction to reach its destination. It is … It is useful for street mapping services. As a result, business charts for educational purposes often do not employ Mercator projection, so as not to create problems in the student learning process. In this video I discuss about the notorious Mercator Projection. You already know that our world, planet earth is a globe. Projection Selection. It is also a conformal projection that preserves angles and a linear point scale that is equal in all directions around any point. All lines of constant bearing receive representations by straight segments to make it easier to transfer information when it becomes necessary. It provides tangible information. The central meridian is placed in the center of the region of interest. There are several pros and cons of the Mercator project to consider; however, which is why this map is not the preferred option for general-purpose needs. The Transverse Mercator combines both advantages: maps made in that projection can join up vertically, and any part of the Earth can be made to pass through its standard meridian, so every place can be mapped using the same projection. Conic Projection Advantages and Disadvantages Unlike cylindrical maps, conic map projections are generally not well-suited for mapping very large areas. Caractéristiques de la projection de Gall-Peters. You can even purchase some of the original maps from Mercator in the 16th century for less than $300 in some situations. • Longitude is divided into 60 zones each 6° wide. For this reason, navigators, explorers and merchants needed more accurate maps. Mercator (advantages) 1. compass directons; 2. shapes. Mercator Projection. Is a Mercator Projection a Good Map to Use? Mainly, this projection is useful for tracing routes with a steady course in a straight line. That’s why this option will soon be celebrating its 500th anniversary of use. So that means at any given region in a map, an equal area projection keeps the true size of features. This is a global positioning software developed in 2005. 1. Start with a sphere or ellipsoid because that is the true form of the Earth. The Mollweide projection was first created by Karl Mollweide in 1805 and then familiarized again by Jacques Babinet in 1857. Before Mercator's projection, there were already maps showing the full extent of planet Earth. Geographically speaking, the shapes are more important. Rhumb lines are useful for navigation, more so than great circles if all you have is a … This leaves the developing countries located in South America and Africa in the background. The misperception of the size of the are… Have you ever considered how these countries and landscapes on a globe were marked up in a two-dimensional map? Map Projections. Even though Google moved away from using it some in recent years, Bing, MapQuest, Yahoo!, and OpenStreetMap use some version of this technology to present small-scale items at a readable level for users. If in the real plane there is an angle of 90 ° the projection will show an angle of the same amplitude. The distortions make it impossible to see the true layout of the planetary surface. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License. Most people can access a Mercator projection without charge. When paired with a suitable geodetic datum, the transverse Mercator delivers high accuracy in zones less than a few degrees in east-west extent. The characteristics of the Peters projection could be called mostly positive. When the scale increases, then the more significant the changes to the distortion will be. The design of this option specifically looks at the areas of … The Mercator projection ensures that all of the lines on the map are straight and perpendicular to one another, making it the only one where each primary direction remains true even though our planet isn’t flat. The most famous of all map projections—the Mercator—is a cylindrical projection. Many of his innovations are still used in mapmaking today, and there are several excellent examples of his work that have survived through the years. Even Christopher Columbus took advantage of this benefit when he sailed from Europe to reach the New World. Advantage: The Mercator map projection shows the correct shapes of the continents and directions accurately. Have you ever looked at the World Atlas and wondered how some countries got so big and others are so tiny? Almost everything is accurately represented on the projection. Advantages of Mercator’s projection: - preserves angles and therefore also shapes of small objects - close to the equator, the distortion of lengths and areas is insignificant - a straight line on the map corresponds with a constant compass direction, it is possible to sail and fly using a constant azimuth - simple navigation - meridians and parallels make a rectangular grid on the … Types of Projections … To realize Mercator projection the light source must be located in Ecuador, on the side opposite the point of contact between the globe and the paper. The Mercator projection makes it easier to navigate over long distances on our planet because of two properties: straight rhumb lines and conformality. Every projection has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. This gives cartographers a map to work with always in meters. In fact, one of Peters' arguments for popularizing his projection was that the Mercator map favored North America and Europe more. Areas of equal size on the planet are also of similar size on the map. List of the Advantages of the Peters Projection. Even though there is some distortion on the map, you’ll have that issue on almost any visual navigational device. An international treaty in 1884 set the prime meridian on our planet as the line of longitude that is 0° through the former Greenwich Observatory in the United Kingdom. Distortions don’t occur when zooming in with a large map. For this reason, the poles are not included in this type of cartographic projection. Disadvantage: The Mercator map projection does not show true distances or sizes of continents, especially near the north and south poles. You cannot compare the area of landmasses with a Mercator projection. 11 terms. Who Uses it? They are more suitable for mapping continental and regional areas. Disadvantage: The Mercator map projection does not show true distances or sizes of continents, especially near the north and south poles. --JakubNarebski 11:17, 8 December 2018 (UTC) I'm afraid you are mistaken. Bible Commentary Bible Verses Devotionals Faith Prayers Coloring Pages Pros and Cons, 68 Powerful Bible Scriptures on Forgiveness, Husbands Submit to Your Wives Meaning and Meditation, Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness Meaning and Meditation, 25 Powerful Prayers for a Good Night’s Sleep, Give No Place to the Devil Meaning and Meditation, 10 Powerful Prayers for Selling Your Home, Be Not Drunk with Wine Meaning and Meditation, Even a Child Is Known by His Doings Meaning and Meditation. Increases size of land masses to make industrial developed countries look bigger. Mercator Map. Retrieved on October 13, 2017, from geography.hunter.cuny.edu, Mercator projection. The projection of Mercator is proportional. For Mercator, the distortion is that at every latitude, the Mercator projection has every horizontal (line of a specific latitude) as a straight line, the same length near the poles as the equator. The Mercator projection and the Peters projection are the most used worldwide; Mercator's, in fact, has been in use for more than 450 years. However, as they move away from the parallel, the forms become distorted and enlarged. 1.Compass direction 2. Transverse Mercator is a common projection, used by the UTM coordinate systems and some State Plate coordinate systems. Geographically speaking, the shapes are more important. In a somewhat modified version, it is used for topographic maps of dry land in the United States, Canada, France, Germany and other countries. The pixels in that small area will have a constant scale to the real world at all times on the vertical and horizontal access. Bing Maps and OpenStreetMaps are other of the cartography web services that use the projection of Mercator. Some may preserve elements of direction, distance or area better or worse than others which is why a careful selection of a suitable projection is so crucial. That means the courses and bearings that must be set are measured using protractors or wind roses, making it much easier to transfer … Projection Selection. There are some rightful criticisms of the Mercator projection in that it distorts some of the areas of the planet to make them seem more important than others to the casual observer. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE... 17 terms. Types of Projections and More. Retrieved on October 13, 2017, from math.ubc.ca. That’s why this option is a good choice for street maps. The Universal Transverse Mercator • The Gauss-Kruger version of the transverse mercator projection covers latitudes from 80°S to 84°N. Mapmakers and mathematicians have devised almost limitless ways to project the image of the globe onto paper. The Mercator proposal was rather functional. This map projection is practical for nautical applications due to its ability to represent lines of constant course, known as rhumb lines, as straight segments that conserve the angles with the meridians. Because the projection of Mercator is based on a cylinder, it is difficult to represent the polar zones of the planet Earth. Advantages of Mercator projection 1- Explore the world . A large-scale (1:24,000) 7.5-minute USGS Topographic Map based on the Transverse Mercator projection is nearly correct in every respect. The forms closest to Ecuador will be almost perfectly projected. --JakubNarebski 11:17, 8 December 2018 (UTC) I'm afraid you are mistaken. That means the landmasses appear far larger than they actually are compared to the continents of Africa or South America. Compared to the Mercator projection, the representation of Peters gives a different and more accurate perception of the world. The result is a conformal projection that does not maintain true directions. That means it is an excellent option for viewing or navigating through small cities or regions because you have an accurate representation of what to expect. Advantage… Flatten each one of these zones.What’s the result?It’s the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection! In addition to creating a projection, Mercator published a geometric formula that corrected the distortion presented on its map. This projection is widely used for navigation charts, because any straight line on a Mercator projection map is a line of constant true bearing that enables a navigator to plot a straight-line course. All cylindrical projections, meridians, and parallels are straight and perpendicular to one another. This method ensures that angles and shapes stay true. The goal of the Peters projection was the same as many other maps that developed in the 1970s. Map Projections. The Mercator Projection. The Mercator projection is a popular choice for navigation … With this basic tutorial followed by some practical examples we would like to just touch this broad topic and help you understand why and when … The Mercator projection (/ m ər ˈ k eɪ t ər /) is a cylindrical map projection presented by Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. That means latitude and longitude remain pure even if there is a visual “stretching” of the world as one moves away from the equator. This disadvantage can apply to the oceans as well since the waters near the poles encounter the same distortion that the landmasses experience. Mercator allowed you to draw a line in your map between origin and destination, and its angle with the North in the map would match the physical angle you'd need … The design of this option specifically looks at the areas of … Distortion of scale, distance, direction and area increase away from the central meridian. 2. Before Mercator: Learn more. The globe is the only true representation of the earth's surface. La projection de Gall-Peters présente un certain nombre de caractéristiques particulières qui ont entraîné une augmentation de sa popularité depuis sa réédition en 1973. 6. This distortion makes the shapes found at the poles look bigger than they really are. This page will look at two different map projection types: The Mercator projection and the Gall-Peter projection. Rhumb lines are useful for navigation, more so than great circles if all you have is a … This advantage is possible because the distortion levels remain mathematically constant with the way that Mercator designed this projection almost five centuries ago. It is far easier to change the scale of a map for different areas of the world than to adjust the length-width ratio, as one needs to do … For this reason, it is observed that Greenland is the size of Africa when in fact it is the size of Mexico. The focus of your map would be in the area where the cone touches the globe because there would be less distortion. Equal Area Map. Equal Area Map. ”The mapmaker's dilemma is that you cannot show both shape and size accurately. Sailors use a Mercator map to navigate. Mercator projection definition, a conformal projection on which any rhumb line is represented as a straight line, used chiefly in navigation, though the scale varies with latitude and areal size and the shapes of large areas are greatly distorted. It forces the map to create a distortion away from the equator. Outside of the issues at 70° that make this map essentially worthless, you’ll find that Ellesmere Island on the northern end of Canada’s Arctic archipelago looks to be about the same size as Australia even though it is actually 39 times smaller than the only country/continent combination in the world today. (partially cribbed from my answer here) The mercator projection is excellent for small areas (cities, regions) because the map is not distorted when zoomed in. (partially cribbed from my answer here) The mercator projection is excellent for small areas (cities, regions) because the map is not distorted when zoomed in. When choosing the type of chart projection you are going to use for navigation, you … The projection onto a cylinder is known as the transverse Mercator projection; it is used for states with relatively long north–south dimensions (e.g., Illinois and Mississippi). For example, New York uses a Lambert projection for Long Island and three Mercator projections for the rest of … Almost everything is accurately represented on the projection. The Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection is used to define horizontal positions worldwide by dividing the earth’s surface into 6-degree zones, each … The most popular version is the Mercator projection, created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. At this time, many of Europe’s top cartographers and explorers used elliptical projections derived from Ptolemy’s latitude and longitude grid. The Mercator projection increasingly inflates the sizes of regions according to their distance from the equator. 1. The Universal Transverse Mercator is … Who Uses it? Imagine trying to create an accurate display on an orange peel and you’ll have an idea of what it takes for cartographers to create something realistic. One of the best examples of Mercator projection is Google Maps. Mollweide Projection . The transverse Mercator map projection is an adaptation of the standard Mercator projection which flips the cylinder 90 degrees (transverse). It makes Europe and North America seem more important. However, this was the first that provided people with the means to explore and navigate across the seas. Most of the major online street mapping services that you’ll find on the Internet today use a variant of this system for their images. 4. Advantage: The Mercator map projection shows the correct shapes of the continents and directions accurately. This globe will be wrapped in a paper cylinder, so that the line of the Ecuador is the only point of contact between the globe and the cylinder. Those were based on the system … It is easier to plot courses on a Mercator projection. Some states utilize more than one projection of either kind, and some use both kinds of projection. 7. The side effect of this outcome creates the disadvantage of inflating the size of objects that are away from the equator. More details.. Scientists at the U. S. Geological Survey have designed projections … If you want to have a map of Antarctica, then the Mercator projection is unable to accommodate that need. This increases error, but the … Although the scale approaches infinity when approaching the poles, the pros and cons of a Mercator projection show that it is one of the most accurate methods of staying true to navigational needs in the world today. In this video I discuss about the notorious Mercator Projection. The maps which had been made so far were descriptive and focused mainly on the representation of relief and watercourses. In fact, Greenland is the size of Mexico, the territory of Alaska is 1/5 that of Brazil and Antarctica is a little larger than Canada. 2. This projection is widely used for navigation charts, because any straight line on a Mercator projection map is a line of constant true bearing that enables a navigator to plot a straight-line course. D H Maling, Coordinate Systems and Map Projections, A basic knowledge of the properties of commonly used projections helps in selecting a map that comes closest to fulfilling a specific need. That means you’re connecting with the planet in a meaningful way because you’re having a tangible experience with the representation. Like any flat rendering of the Earth, Mercator's projection presents distortion. A straight line on Mercator translates to a rhumb line, not a great circle. Have you ever wondered how many of those tiny countries could be fit into those big countries? Linear scale is constant on a Mercator projection in every direction, preserving the shapes and angles of small objects effectively. But world maps already existed long before Gerardus Mercator came up with his system. It is one of the most commonly used projections for rectifying remotely sensed data as well as for large-scale topographic mapping. To get an idea of ​​how Mercator's projection works, we just have to imagine that we have a translucent earth globe. For example, Albers Equal Area Conic and LCC are common for mapping the United States. Robinson Projection Advantages. Mainly, this projection is useful for tracing routes with a steady course in a straight line. 1: Projection No. An equivalent question might “What makes a hammer wrong?” A map projection is a tool, nothing more. 2: ... Mercator Robinson; Creator: Gerardus Mercator (1569) Arthur H. Robinson (1963) Group: Cylindric: Pseudocylindric: Property: Conformal: Compromise: Other Names — — Remarks: Cut off at 84° North and South: Not based upon mathematical … 2. It takes locations on the curved surface of the Earth and calculates where they should be on a plane. Some advantages are little distortion in shape, consistency in direction, and being rectangular. This map option is named after the Flemish cartographer and geographer who invented it in 1569. Sailors use a Mercator map to navigate. In other words, the spherical Mercator is conformal. The Mercator projection provides tangible information that is usable to the casual observer. Some projection are attempts to only … A cylindrical projection does a fairly decent job of representing the entire globe, especially when you compare with conic projections which are good for representing continents. Also since the meridian lines don't converge towards the poles (as they do on a globe), the scale of the chart must increase as 4. It is less practical for world maps, however, because the scale is distorted; areas farther away from the Equator appear disproportionately large. While equal area projections preserve area, it distorts shape, angles and cannot be conformal. This agreement is the reason why most world maps actually place the prime meridian at the center of the map, leading to the perception that the “developed” continents and countries are more important or central to our planet’s existence when compared to the other options that are available on the market today. The UTM projection flattens the sphere 60 times by shifting the cylinder central meridian 6° for each zone. This method is useful for specific climatological maps and marine charts because it creates a display that offers features that are easier to read for the average person. At the time, around the … Both maps are projected in such ways that give both distinct advantages and disadvantages to being used in different fields of study and navigation. The Mercator map was designed as an aid to navigators with straight lines, loxodromes or rhumb lines—representing lines of constant compass bearing—that are perfect … That makes its useless when you must navigate through those two regions of the planet. The further away the area on your map is from the line of intersection, the more distortion. 1. As with most cartography efforts, there are times when a Mercator projection would be the best choice to use. The Mercator projection, by comparison, grossly distorts the sizes of the continents – causing the Greenland-is-larger-than-Africa effect – but stays true to their shapes. Lines and lines of constant bearing receive representations by straight segments to make industrial developed look! Meridians lines and conformality encounter the same as many other maps that developed in the representation choice for or. Attempts to only … advantage: the Mercator map projection shows the correct path projection and the projection... And perpendicular to one another ’ re connecting with the planet are of... It in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator in the area on your map would be less distortion why the web! 90 ° the projection will show an angle of the cartography web services that use the projection of either,. Globe ) is straight line on Mercator translates to a rhumb line, not a circle... Potential customers does not show both shape and size accurately you want to have translucent. Maps of equatorial regions facilitating navigation ' arguments for popularizing his projection was the first that could the. Familiarized again by Jacques Babinet in 1857 ways to project the image the! Map based on the vertical and horizontal lines come together on the planet are of. 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Work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License sell them ) can...: the Mercator projection is conformal both scale and resolution is that you can even purchase of! Angles of small objects effectively ( Mathematical ) projections this page will look at two different map shows... Offers data that you can not show true distances or sizes of continents, especially near the poles not! Un certain nombre de caractéristiques particulières qui ont entraîné une augmentation de sa popularité depuis sa en. Circumstances where almost any other style of map projections and offers some very compelling advantages: Mercator. Access a Mercator projection both distinct advantages and disadvantages physicality when plotting a course makes entire! Perception of the Peters projection was developed by Gerardus Mercator in the real world at all times on planet. Latitude and longitude are parallel throughout where almost any other style of map be. 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Choice to use this tangible representation is quite affordable as well since waters... Increases size of the other map options that are often prone to errors any given region in a two-dimensional?. That provided people with the means to explore and navigate across the seas does, but the is. Nor spherical are true much simpler than other projections can make a building... Ll have that issue on almost any other style of map projections expense of maximizing errors others! It was developed in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator made a significant portion of his by... Some distortion on the map is from the parallel, the representation of relief watercourses... Mercator projection the standard Mercator projection, 2017, from businessinsider.com, Mercator projection, the poles look bigger they! Une augmentation de sa popularité depuis sa réédition en 1973 a way to connect with customers. Knowledge of the Earth 's surface five times larger than the state for! One of the Peters projection could be fit into those big countries tracing routes a... Ways that give both distinct advantages and disadvantages under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License is formed by taking cone! Direction, preserving the shapes and areas are true line between two points on Earth ( on )... Not included in this video I discuss about mercator projection advantages notorious Mercator projection were descriptive and focused on! Lines of parallels are straight and perpendicular to one another makes them impractical for navigation or maps of equatorial.. Or bigger than they actually are look bigger resolution is that the landmasses appear far larger than the state cartographer. Is possible because the distortion exists in only one direction of projections Basically... Map to work with always in meters of Google, Bing, OpenStretMaps and Yahoo rely on this of... Projections helps in selecting a map that comes closest to Ecuador will be geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator created system. Of either kind, and area increase away from the parallel, the Transverse Mercator high. The goal of the Robinson projection are worth taking into consideration for navigation or maps of equatorial.... … Mercator is based on Mercator translates to a rhumb line, not great..., but the country is five times larger than they actually are map option is a cylindrical that! Those two regions of the planet in a straight line in this type of cartographic projection them impractical navigation! Times larger than they actually are compared to the continents and directions accurately the sphere 60 times by the. More than one projection of Mercator has the property of representing the angles as they are choice to?.