The Mercator projection is a type of cylindrical map projection presented by Flemish geographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. It preserves angles and shapes but distorts sizes, making landmasses near poles appear larger than they actually are.
Imagine trying to peel an orange and lay its skin flat without tearing it - it's impossible! Similarly, when we try to project our spherical Earth onto flat maps like Mercator Projection, some distortions occur - just like wrinkles would form if you tried flattening an orange peel!
Cylindrical Projection: A method where Earth’s surface features are projected onto a cylinder wrapped around Earth which then unrolls into flat surface.
Conformal Map Projection: These types of projections maintain shape locally while sacrificing other properties; Mercator projection falls under this category.
Distortion: In geography terms, distortion refers to the misrepresentation of shape, area, distance, or direction of or between geographic features when compared to their true measurements on Earth's surface.
What is the primary purpose of the Mercator projection?
Why does Mercator Projection often receive criticism despite its widespread use?
Which type of distortion does a Mercator projection cause?
The Mercator projection is often criticized because it distorts what?
What is the primary weakness of the Mercator projection in representing global geography?
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