• Geography -> Cartography and topography

• 0 Comment

How do different map projections affect our understanding of geography and cultural perspectives?

Alivia Kingwell

Well, well, well, if it isn't my old friend geography! Let's talk about how different map projections affect our understanding of it. Honestly, it's kind of a big deal. Like, imagine trying to navigate a new city without a map - it's basically impossible! Map projections are our way of making sense of the world around us in a way that's easy to understand.

Now, first things first, what even is a map projection? It's basically a way of taking a three-dimensional object (the Earth) and making it two-dimensional (a map) so we can look at it and get a better idea of what's going on. But the thing is, there isn't one "right" way to do this. Different map projections all have their own strengths and weaknesses, and depending on what you're looking for, one projection might work better than another.

For example, let's talk about the Mercator projection. You've probably seen it before - it's the one that makes Greenland look huge, despite it actually being quite small. This projection was developed in the 16th century and was really useful for sailors, since it preserved compass bearings, which made it easier to navigate. But the downside is that it distorts the size and shape of countries as you near the poles, making things like Africa and South America look smaller than they actually are.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the Peters projection. This one flips things around and distorts the way we see land masses. It's designed to show the true size and shape of countries, so Africa looks huge and Greenland looks tiny. This projection was developed in 1974 and was meant to combat the Eurocentric bias of maps like the Mercator projection. It helps to showcase the actual size of countries and avoid the problem of making small countries and island nations look way bigger than they actually are.

But the thing is, even with the Peters projection there's still some distortion happening. It's impossible to take a three-dimensional object and turn it into two dimensions without losing some information. That's where things like globes come in handy - they preserve the true size and shape of land masses, but aren't practical for everyday use.

So, how does all of this affect our understanding of geography and cultural perspectives? Well, it can impact how we perceive the world around us. If all we see are maps that make certain countries look tiny, we might start to think that those countries aren't as important or significant. We might also start to see the world in a Eurocentric way, assuming that Europe and North America are at the center of everything.

But by using different map projections, we can start to get a more accurate picture of the world. We can see the true size and shape of countries and better understand their cultural perspectives. We can start to see the world from different viewpoints and gain a better appreciation for the diversity of our planet.

So, next time you're looking at a map, take a second to think about the projection it's using. Consider how that projection might be affecting your perception of the world and try to seek out different projections to broaden your understanding. Trust me, it's worth it!