Lab 5: Map Projections

Map projections are a very interesting aspect of geography. They are necessary for understanding spatial information. However, this lab shows how varied maps really are. Though all six of the projections shown above are measuring the distance between the same cities, the actual measurements in miles varied. The most similar distances were measured on the conformal projections. The widest gap in measurements were between the equidistant maps. Though different types of projections may seem inconsistent map projections are very important. They are the best and easiest way for humans to access and understand spatial information. Different projections provide the viewer a way to look at the world from different angles. This is a healthy way to see the layout of the land, because looking at the traditional map can limit full understanding of Earth. The projections in this project showed me that I have been deceived by different projections my whole life. The perceived distances are very different depending on what type of map is being looked at. The projections I measured all said the distance between Washington D.C. and Kabul, Afghanistan were in the 8,000 or 9,000 range. These numbers do not seem to far apart in terms of world distance, but when I apply it to driving, going 10 miles is entirely different than driving 1,000 miles. This shows how much the type of projection influences the information of the map.

There are several dangers in relying on map projections because they cannot be assumed completely accurate. As discussed in class, map projections can give a false image of certain places. Growing up,I always thought that Greenland was much larger than it is. Later, I found that this was a result of the projection. However, not until this class did I realize how many types of projections exist. These three categories of projections show the earth in different ways. Distortions on maps can effect how people perceive different places. Distortions of maps can also tell a lot about the maker of the map. The Mercator map in many ways  does not show Africa to it's true size. This is because the map was created by Western men who thought highly of Western Europe but did not have concern over Africa. The peril in these manipulative uses of maps are that they could be used for negative things, such as influencing people into acting certain ways politically. If Sarah Palin claims she can see Russia from her house than people are going to panic and want to be more armed against Russia. This type of spatial hype was exploited very much during the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis to stir up an emotional response of Americans.  Falsities in size and location are the danger that map projections pose.

The benefit of projections is that they allow people to view the entire world in a 2-D format. Even if they are not the most accurate size and placement, projections can give people a general understanding of the globe. Humans are spatial creatures and knowing our location is very helpful. Projections allow humans to understand culture through the proximity of places to each other and their location in the world. Projections can be helpful for anything from charting a vacation to marking areas engaging in war. I think as technology advances, more projections will be released with more accuracy and updates. Examining projections really helps educate individuals in world spatial information, which is very important and should be part of mandatory curriculum. By knowing where countries, resources, landmarks, and many other map features, a person becomes more well rounded and understanding of global issues. The nature of projections allows them to be distributed widely. They can be sent anywhere from the most renowned universities to small village schools in developing countries. The universal nature of them has the potential to promote a more unified and understanding world. Maps have the potential to promote better relationships between countries and a more educated population.

The most confusing projection to me in my examples is the oblique Mercator. It is difficult to see where this type of projection would be more useful than the other projections, or even another conformal projection like the stereographic projection featured. The equal area maps I selected were the most similar to eachother in terms of looks. Both of these maps were my favorite because they followed the clearest form of the whole world that I am familar with. When I use maps these are similar to the types of projections I would use. I use maps everyday so I need to be aware of what kind of projection I am looking at. However these maps are guilty of projecting the world as the way we always see it. The map is useful to me because the way the countries are included is the way I have always been shown the world in projections. However in class we discussed how projections are a human construct because humans decided how they want to look at the world. This standard set up shows North America and South America on the left side of the map, while Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa are on the right side. The world did not have to be drawn like this, but this decision was made and it is accepted as correct. The class looked at the upside down map of the world. It is confusing to look at since I have been so conditioned to view the world in the placement that the graticule and conformal projections show. Map projections are helpful and important, but it is important to remember that they can be flawed or distorted.