Mercator, type: conformal
Distance between DC and Kabul= 10,173 miles
Gall Stereographic, type: conformal
Distance between Kabul and Washignton D.C.= 7,119 miles
Cylindrical Equal Area, type: equal area
Distance between Kabul and Washington D.C.= 10,147 miles
Bonne, type: equal area
Distance Between Kabul and Washington D.C.= 6,753 miles
Equidistant Cylindrical, type: equidistant
Distance Between Kabul and Washington D.C.= 5,061 miles
Equidistant Conic, type: equidistant
Distance between Kabul and Washington D.C.= 6 942 miles
Map projections are a very important concept to understand when studying geography. When most people look at maps they do not understand how it is created. People often do not realize that there are different ways to project maps, most people are just used to one type of map and assume that there is only one correct way to represent the world. However making maps
that accurately represent the world is much more complex then it may seem.
The main challenge in creating maps that accurately represent the world is due to the fact the it requires representing a three dimensional world in only two dimensions. Because the world is spherical many problems arise when we try to create a flat, two dimensional representation of it. The process of transforming the 3D world into a flat map is called map projection. There are several ways to do map projections, each have their advantages and disadvantages.
Each type of map projection preserves certain features and distorts others. This is because it is not possible to create a completely accurate two dimensional representation of a three dimensional space. There are some maps that accurately represent area, or distance, but usually when one feature is preserved it is at the expense of others. So when creating maps it is important to consider what it will be used for a make sure that the features relevant to the use are preserved. For example, when creating a map of land use area is probably an important feature to preserve.
There are three main types of map projections: conformal, equidistant and equal area. Conformal projections preserve shapes and angles, so that things like shapes of the continents are preserved, such as in map the Mercator and Gall Stereographic maps above. Equidistant projections, on the other hand, preserve distance, which is important for taking accurate measurements. However this comes at the expense of other features, as you can see
in the equidistant conic and equidistant cylindrical projections above. And equal area projections preserve area, which is also important for certain purposes, but distorts shapes and distance, making it less commonly used for everyday purposes. We can see this in the Bonne and cylindrical equal area maps above, where the shapes and distances are distorted. However, not all maps are one of these types, some are even a combination.
that accurately represent the world is much more complex then it may seem.
The main challenge in creating maps that accurately represent the world is due to the fact the it requires representing a three dimensional world in only two dimensions. Because the world is spherical many problems arise when we try to create a flat, two dimensional representation of it. The process of transforming the 3D world into a flat map is called map projection. There are several ways to do map projections, each have their advantages and disadvantages.
Each type of map projection preserves certain features and distorts others. This is because it is not possible to create a completely accurate two dimensional representation of a three dimensional space. There are some maps that accurately represent area, or distance, but usually when one feature is preserved it is at the expense of others. So when creating maps it is important to consider what it will be used for a make sure that the features relevant to the use are preserved. For example, when creating a map of land use area is probably an important feature to preserve.
There are three main types of map projections: conformal, equidistant and equal area. Conformal projections preserve shapes and angles, so that things like shapes of the continents are preserved, such as in map the Mercator and Gall Stereographic maps above. Equidistant projections, on the other hand, preserve distance, which is important for taking accurate measurements. However this comes at the expense of other features, as you can see
in the equidistant conic and equidistant cylindrical projections above. And equal area projections preserve area, which is also important for certain purposes, but distorts shapes and distance, making it less commonly used for everyday purposes. We can see this in the Bonne and cylindrical equal area maps above, where the shapes and distances are distorted. However, not all maps are one of these types, some are even a combination.
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