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Mercator projection, type of map projection introduced in 1569 by Gerardus

Mercator. It is often described as a cylindrical projection, but it must be derived
mathematically. The meridians are equally spaced parallel vertical lines, and the
parallels of latitude are parallel horizontal straight lines that are spaced farther
and farther apart as their distance from the Equator increases. This projection is
widely used for navigation charts, because any straight line on a Mercator
projection map is a line of constant true bearing that enables a navigator to plot
a straight-line course. It is less practical for world maps, however, because the
scale is distorted; areas farther away from the Equator appear
disproportionately large. On a Mercator projection, for example, the landmass of
Greenland appears to be greater than that of the continent of South America; in
actual area, Greenland is smaller than the Arabian Peninsula.
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Mercator projection

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Key People:
Gerardus Mercator

Related Topics:
cylindrical projection

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This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.
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cartography
Alternate titles: cartographic projection
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projection, in cartography, systematic representation on a flat surface of

features of a curved surface, as that of the Earth. Such a representation presents
an obvious problem but one that did not disturb ancient or medieval
cartographers. Only when the voyages of exploration stimulated production of
maps showing entire oceans, hemispheres, and the whole Earth did the question
of projection come to the fore. Mercator produced the simplest and, for its
purposes, the best solution by in effect converting the spherical Earth into a
menu search with the open ends at the poles; this cylinder was then openedSubscribe
cylinder to formaccount_circle
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plane surface. East–west and north–south directions could be represented with
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fidelity, and the distortions in size became gross only near the polar regions
(rendering Greenland, for example, disproportionately large). The Mercator
projection is still widely used, especially when north–south dimensions are of
chief importance. Many other projections are used, for example, the conic
projection, drawn from a point directly above the North or South Pole. All
projections involve some degree of distortion, and those showing the entire Earth
involve a large degree.

Related Topics:
Mercator projection •
Lambert conformal projection •
cylindrical projection •
conic
projection •
azimuthal projection

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cartography more_vert Actions

geography
Alternate titles: mapmaking, mapping
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: Feb 12, 2023
•
Article History

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cartography, the art and science of graphically representing a geographical area,

usually on a flat surface such as a map or chart. It may involve the
superimposition of political, cultural, or other nongeographical divisions onto
the representation of a geographical area.
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cartography

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Key People:
Muḥammad al-Idrīsī •
Gerardus Mercator •
Simon Ushakov •
Leopold, Baron von Buch •
James Rennell

Related Topics:
map •
GIS •
hydrography •
atlas •
Ordnance Survey International

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A brief treatment of cartography follows. For full treatment, see map.

More From Britannica

map
Cartography is an ancient discipline that dates from the prehistoric depiction of
hunting and fishing territories. The Babylonians mapped the world in a flattened,
disk-shaped form, but Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy) established the basis for
subsequent efforts in the 2nd century CE with his eight-volume work Geōgraphikē
hyphēgēsis (Guide to Geography) that showed a spherical Earth. Maps produced
during the Middle Ages followed Ptolemy’s guide, but they used Jerusalem as the
central feature and placed East at the top. Those representations are often called
T-maps because they show only three continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa),
separated by the “T” formed by the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile River. More
accurate geographical representation began in the 14th century when portolan
(seamen’s) charts were compiled for navigation.

The discovery of the New World by Europeans led to the need for new
techniques in cartography, particularly for the systematic representation on a
flat surface of the features of a curved surface—generally referred to as a
projection (e.g., Mercator projection, cylindrical projection, and Lambert
conformal projection). During the 17th and 18th centuries there was a vast
outpouring of printed maps of ever-increasing accuracy and sophistication.
Systematic surveys were undertaken involving triangulation that greatly
improved map reliability and precision. Noteworthy among the scientific
methods introduced later was the Load
use Next
of the telescope for determining the length
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of a degree of longitude.

Modern cartography largely involves the use of aerial and, increasingly, satellite
photographs as a base for any desired map or chart. The procedures for
translating photographic data into maps are governed by the principles of
photogrammetry and yield a degree of accuracy previously unattainable. The
remarkable improvements in satellite photography since the late 20th century
and the general availability on the Internet of satellite images have made
possible the creation of Google Earth and other databases that are widely
available online. Satellite photography has also been used to create highly
detailed maps of features of the Moon and of several planets in our solar system
and their satellites. In addition, the use of geographic information systems (GIS)
has been indispensible in expanding the scope of cartographic subjects.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.