Mercator Projection facts

While investigating facts about Mercator Projection Map and Mercator Projection Greenland, I found out little known, but curios details like:

Google Maps is based on a cylindrical map of the earth called a mercator projection making mapping the poles almost impossible

how to draw mercator projection?

Canada is actually not much larger than the United States. In fact, the US actually has more land area than Canada. The Mercator projection just makes Canada look larger. In terms of total area, Canada is only ~4% larger than the United States.

What is universal transverse mercator projection?

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what is mercator projections. Here are 18 of the best facts about Mercator Projection Game and Mercator Projection Vs True Size I managed to collect.

what is the difference between mercator and robinson projection?

1. All flat maps of the earth need to use a mathematical projection. The most popular one is the "Mercator". The trade-off being that it deeply affects the relative size of the countries. Making countries 10x different in size look the same.

2. The US is barely a third the size of Africa, but we know it wrong because most of the maps are designed using the Mercator projection

3. Mercator (of map projection fame) believed a 33-mile-wide magnetic island sat at the magnetic North Pole inside a giant whirlpool to explain why compasses pointed north

4. The Mercator map projection used in schools was made for navigation and not representative to countries actual sizes. For example, Africa is actually 14x larger than Greenland although they are projected the same size.

5. Greenland is a MUCH smaller country than maps depict thanks to Mercator projections of our 3D earth in 2D

6. A true fact on The West Wing that the traditional Mercator Projection of the World Map has fostered European Imperialist attitudes for centuries and created an ethnic bias against the Third World.

7. Our world-maps distorts the real size of continents due to Mercator projection. Russia is only 2x the size of USA, Africa is 14x times the size of Greenland and is bigger than entire North America. Madagascar is 2x the size of UK.

8. Mercator maps are essentially a compromise between accurate sizes and shapes of countries. This is because there really is no standard way to project a spherical object onto a flare surface like paper and be 100% accurate in shape, size, and distance.

9. Mercator maps are essentially a compromise between accurate size and accurate shapes of countries. This is. excuse there really is no standard way to project a spherical object onto a flat surface without compromising size, shape, or distances.

10. Mercator projection world maps are always cropped. They can continue on infinitely towards the north or south, increasing in distortion, making a snowflake on the south pole the same size as a continent

Mercator Projection data charts

For your convenience take a look at Mercator Projection figures with stats and charts presented as graphic.

Why are mercator maps distort?

You can easily fact check why did mercator make his map by examining the linked well-known sources.

Due to the "Mercator Projection" affect, the true size of land is misrepresented on traditional maps where Greenland is actually 3.5 times smaller than Australia and India is 2 times larger than Alaska

The most popular map of the world, Mercator Projection, distorts the size of countries closer to the poles, making them appear larger than they really are. - source

While Africa and Greenland appear to be the same size on a standard map, Africa is actually 14 times bigger than Greenland. Although the Mercator projection preserves local angular relationships, it greatly distorts sizes at the poles and is just one of many possible map projections. - source

The Mercator projection, one of the most common ways to create a global map, was invented in 1569.

Greenland can fit into China 4 time, contrary to the Mercator Projection - source

When did meow mix come out?

The popular version of the world map we know is inaccurate. The "Mercator" projection was created in 1596 to help sailors navigate the world. The familiar map gives the right shapes of land masses, but at the cost of distorting their sizes in favor of the wealthy lands to the north

Mercator projection infographics

Beautiful visual representation of Mercator Projection numbers and stats to get perspecive of the whole story.