Week 6

The creation of map projections has brought with it a number of different benefits. Map projections give humans the ability to view a 3D world on a 2D surface. Paper maps are much more convenient and transportable than spherical globes. Map projections also have been responsible for increasing the public’s geographic awareness and knowledge. Nearly everyone in the world has at one point in time been able to view a world map. Before map projections were created, individuals had to guess as to what the Earth looked like from a bird’s eye view. Now, map projections give an extremely accurate picture of the Earth. This creates a greater awareness of geography and a greater understanding of the world in general. 

The three main types of map projections (equal area, equidistant, and conformal) do indeed have their flaws, but they possess great benefits as well. Equal Area projections, such as the Behrmann Equal Area Projection, give an accurate picture of the true size and area of geographic features, such as countries and continents. This enables the public to understand the true size of geographic features, such as countries and continents. Africa is always portrayed as a small continent, but in reality it is huge. An Equal Area projection accurately depicts Africa’s true size. Equidistant and Conformal projections, such as the Azimuthal Equidistant and Van Der Grintin I, are extremely beneficial for navigation, both for ships and planes. Equidistant shows true distance, and Conformal shows accurate direction. During wartime, these maps are extremely beneficial when planning military attacks, or estimating the missile capabilities of enemy nations.

            Although map projections have great potential and benefits, the pitfalls and flaws are extremely significant. Map distortions are often used to exploit and misrepresent developing countries in the southern hemisphere, especially countries in Africa. Conformal Projections such as the Van der Grinten I and the Stereographic Conformal Projection portray Africa has extremely small in comparison to its actual size, whereas countries in the northern hemisphere are depicted as much larger than in reality. This distortion portrays countries in the northern hemisphere as larger, more powerful, and generally “better” than countries in the southern hemisphere. Unfortunately, the kinds of projections that distort the true size of continents, such as the Mercator Projection, are the kinds of projections used in classrooms across the United States. These map projections have created a northern hemisphere ethnocentricity, and have manipulated most of the world into thinking that countries in the north have dominance and power over poor, developing nations of the south. A map projection may seem objective, but many times there are subtle traces of subjectivity.

            Antarctica is a perfect example of the variability of map projections. Antarctica appears a different shape and size in nearly every map projection. The Ven der Grinten I Conformal and Equidistant Conic Projections portray Antarctica as extremely large, whereas the Azimuthal Equidistant and Stereographic Conformal Projections portray the continent as very small. This is very misleading. Fortunately there are no countries or large permanent colonies on Antarctica, for if there were there would be much debate and discussion over the continent’s portrayal in map projections.    

Furthermore, no map projection is perfect. Each one distorts the earth in a different way and carries with it a number of different flaws. At least one element of a map projection presents false information. This false information can be in regards to shape, size, distance, or direction. This is perhaps the most significant flaw of map projection. Map projections can be skewed and tweaked to purposely misrepresent information. This is why it is always important to reference multiple map projections, and most importantly a spherical globe.