MERCATOR PROJECTION Meaning and
Definition
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The Mercator Projection refers to a cylindrical map projection introduced by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. It is a popular and widely used map projection that accurately represents the shape and angle of landmasses, but significantly distorts their size, particularly towards the poles.
The Mercator Projection is formed by projecting the Earth's spherical surface onto a cylinder. This projection preserves the straight lines, allowing navigators to sail on a constant bearing or compass direction, and thus aiding navigation at sea. The equator appears as a straight line across the middle of the map, with lines of latitude and longitude forming a grid that helps locate specific points on the Earth's surface accurately.
However, the most notable characteristic of the Mercator Projection is the significant distortion of landmasses' size as they get farther from the equator. This causes landmasses closer to the poles, particularly Antarctica and Greenland, to appear considerably larger than they actually are, while regions near the equator appear compressed. Consequently, the projection has received criticism for distorting the relative sizes of continents, resulting in a Eurocentric bias, perceptions of Africa appearing smaller than reality.
Despite these distortions, the Mercator Projection remains widely used for general-purpose maps, navigation charts, and for world maps seen in classrooms due to its simplicity and familiarity. However, modern cartography has introduced alternative projections, such as the Robinson Projection or the Winkel Tripel Projection, which attempt to balance shape, area, and distance at a global scale.
Common Misspellings for MERCATOR PROJECTION
- nercator projection
- kercator projection
- jercator projection
- mwrcator projection
- msrcator projection
- mdrcator projection
- mrrcator projection
- m4rcator projection
- m3rcator projection
- meecator projection
- medcator projection
- mefcator projection
- metcator projection
- me5cator projection
- me4cator projection
- merxator projection
- mervator projection
- merfator projection
- merdator projection
Etymology of MERCATOR PROJECTION
The word "Mercator" in "Mercator Projection" is derived from the Latin surname "Mercator", meaning "merchant" or "trader". It is named after the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, who created and popularized this particular map projection in 1569. The term "projection" in cartography refers to the method of representing the Earth's three-dimensional surface on a two-dimensional plane, such as a map or chart.
