Boston schools ditch conventional world maps in favor of this. The peters map, the work of the german historian arno peters, provides a helpful corrective to the distortions of traditional maps. Odt, arno peters, oxford cartographers, oxford cartographers on. Mercator projection maps will not be removed but all new maps purchased will be the peters projection, rose said. The west wing hd lionel tribbey and his cricket bat and its surely to their credit duration.
If north or south is straight up, the aspect is said to be equatorial. Types of map projections the number of map projections made possible is limitless, and hundreds have been published. Peters projection map, widely used in educational and business. The peters map of the world 1974 shows the earths geographic relationships better than the standard mercator map c. The peters projection named after arno peters, also called the gall peters projection, is a cartographic projection that was first described in 1855 by james gall. Robinson in a pamphlet put out by the american cartographic association in 1986. Mar 29, 2017 why map historians are annoyed with boston public schools the district started phasing in the peters projection, to much fanfare. Not just any world map, mind you, but a peters projection. James gall produced an orthographic map projection over the world usgs, 2010. While the peters projection map is superior in its portrayal of proportions and sizes, its importance goes far beyond questions of cartographic accuracy it challenges our view of the world.
The mercator projection is a cylindrical projection that was developed for navigation purposes. Created in 1569 in germany, the mercator map was made during the rise of european colonial expansion. Maps were devised because they are much easier to use, store, and transport than globes, and they facilitated the development of much larger. Nov 21, 2019 proponents of the peters projection map claim that their map is an accurate, fair, and unbiased depiction of the world when comparing theirs to the almostdefunct mercator map, which features enlarged depictions of eurocentric countries and continents. Map images can be copied freely for any nonprofit educational use. Map projections map, department of the interior, u. The peters projection is up on the wall of the socanth office for a reason. For the first time, odt is offering our clients, customers, and the general public a free version of the peters projection world map. This paper documents a famous cartographic controversy played out in the cartographic literature for more than fifteen years. When arno peters presented his world map and map projection to a wider public. Proponents of the peters projection map claim that their map is an accurate, fair, and unbiased depiction of the world when comparing theirs to the almostdefunct mercator map, which features enlarged depictions of eurocentric countries and continents. Jan 06, 2017 learn what a map projection is, why they are used and what impact they have on maps gis systems.
The peters world map is an equal area cylindrical projection with standard parallels at 45 degrees thus resulting in a distortion of shape which is. Many ways to see the world innovative mindexpanding world. Lesson on the different map projections teaching resources. It shows how the scale of the mercator map is quite distorted near the poles and how the peters projection gives a more realistic view of the land surface of the earth. The gall peters projection is a rectangular map the provides users with a flat view of the entire world on a single image. The projection is a particular example of the cylindrical equalarea projection with latitudes 45 north and south as the regions on the map that have no distortion.
When the internet has inherited internal bias, a bad idea can spread like an epidemic. Whether a map is accurate depends on what you use it for. Printable pdf world political map, in gall peters projection full editable, adobe pdf, full vector, scalable, editable text format names, 72 mb zip all countries and disputed teritories with flags ans squares, map for design, printing, arts, projects, presentations, for architects, designers and. Gall peters projection is one specialization of equalarea cylindric or cylindrical equalarea projection. Nov 26, 2012 it asks pupils to answers questions, first with a mercator map and then using data. In this part it is intended to go deeper into the history and underlying concepts of an equal area cylindrical projection, the gall peters map projection. Tv show parodies flat earth gailpeters projection world map. Why map historians are annoyed with boston public schools. All the countries of the world are represented at true size and true proportion. Why map historians are annoyed with boston public schools the district started phasing in the peters projection, to much fanfare.
The equal area peters map has attracted more press coverage, both praise and criticism, than any other map in history. There are many types of map projections, and each one uses a different mathematical formula to transpose locations from the globe onto the map. Map projections are a systematic transformation of longitudes and latitudes of a location on the surface of the sphere. Mar 17, 2020 a peters projection map is a map which attempts to draw the features of the earth with minimal area distortion. We provide bespoke, quality custom maps for a wide range of clients. Pdf journey to the end of the world map how edges of world. About a week after these stories started to appear in the news, tom patterson, a cartographer who has since retired from the us national park service, began looking at equalarea projections to identify an alternative to gallpeters. This map is a 2007 edition and does not include updates like south sudan. The peters projection controversy and its aftermath by giulia mansueto. Mercator map enthusiasts defend the ease of navigation of their map. This is a summary of map projections that have articles of their own on wikipedia or that are otherwise notable. In 1973, german historian arno peters unveiled the peters projection, a map that challenged the eurocentric mercator style by redrawing the socalled third world to appear more.
With the traditional mercator map greenland and china look to be the same size but in reality china is almost 4 times larger. Like any equalarea projection, it achieves this goal by distorting most shapes. Bostons public schools began phasing in the lesserknown peters projection. Comparing projection maps since earth is a sphere, the more correct model of earth is a globe but often it is more useful to have a flat map of earth. Equal earth map projection meets cartographic needs and. World political editable pdf map 01 in gallpeters projection. Reproduction of these black and white peters maps requires the following conditions be met. Map found via reddit, click for larger version while its well known that the mercator projection distorts the world, the maps here show very clearly by how much. Jan 01, 2009 world peters projection map, pacificcentered inc. Mercator illustrated opposite is one example, have tended to show countries incorrectly in. Shape conformity, what a place would look like from directly above it area size, how much of.
The peters map site has an interesting short discussion of maps. Our full service covers everything from design to the finished map, either online, as a file or printed. Weve had many requests for the 11 x 17 placemat size peters map with uptodate boundaries and the country names left off. Peters projection maps page 2 many ways to see the world. The caption beneath the map accuses the mercator projection of intentionally enlarging northern areas where white people live and shrinking continents such as africa to diminish their importance.
The map on the lower left is appropriate to a small 640480 screen. In 1974, a german historian, arno peters, introduced what he called the peters projection to the cartographic community. That means that one square inch anywhere on the map is an equal number of square miles. Arno peters at a press conference in germany in 1974 it generated a firestorm of debate. We will taker a closer look at the popular mercator projection and examine how the projection. Spheres have several properties that cannot be translated into maps with equal accuracy.
However, the peters projection must be evaluated separately from its scientific accuracy. Antiti map projections tn 6 a map is a representation of all or part of the earth drawn on a flat surface at a specific scale. He promoted it as a superior alternative to the mercator projection, which was suited to navigation but also used commonly in world maps. This requires a systematic transformation of the latitudes and longitudes of locations from the surface of the globe into locations on a plane. The peters projection world map is an equal area projection. Or watch the 30minute documentary film here odt is in transition with the business being passed to new owners in 2020. On the mercator map the equators are moved southwards, europe occupies the. Because there is no limit to the number of possible map projections, there can be no comprehensive list. For example, the sheer physical enormity of africa is clear. In the mercator projection, as another example, greenland, which has 0.
Created by german historian arno peters and introduced to the world in 1974, the peters projection map has been adopted for use by the united nations. Since the globe is a sphere and a map is flat, some distortion is inevitable, but the peters projection map works to present bodies of land as accurately as possible. When a cartographer creates a map, it is impossible to avoid distortions because they are transforming a round globe into a flat map. In this map, land masses and nations are shown in true proportion.
Map projections page 3 introduction to map projections although earth images and map data that you use are typically rendered onto flat surfaces such as your computer screen or a sheet of paper, the earths surface obviously is not flat. Equal earth map projection meets cartographic needs and desires. Printable world political map in gallpeters projection. Jul 30, 2010 the west wing hd lionel tribbey and his cricket bat and its surely to their credit duration. Peters projection maps the equal area peters map has attracted more press coverage, both praise and criticism, than any other map in history. Map projections explained a beginners guide youtube.
The equal earth projection maintains the true relative sizes of the earths features and is visually pleasing. The robinson projection is something of a compromise in that it attempts to minimize errors in distance, relative size, and compass direction but does not accurately depict any one of these. In the end each and every map projection has a place, and there is no limit to the amount of projections that can be created. When the central axis of the developable surface is oriented eastwest, the projections aspect is. The equal earth projection was created in response to a wave of news stories in 2017 following the boston public schools announcement that it was switching to the gall peters projection for all classroom world maps. Dec 27, 2012 back to the wonderful, impractical world of swarthmore. While the peters projection map is superior in its portrayal of proportions and sizes, its importance goes far beyond questions of cartographic accuracy. If the widespread use of the mercator was a sign of bias, finding an alternative is a good idea. And when it comes to custom maps and mapping, few have the expertise and skill of oxford cartographers. The gall peters projection is a rectangular map projection that maps all areas such that they have the correct sizes relative to each other. Pdf the equal earth map projection is a new equalarea pseudocylindrical projection for world maps. So, choosing the right projection is all about compromising something. A map projections aspect is its orientation on the page or display screen.
This map projection shows greenland as the same size as argentina, and not as the size of all of south america. A map projection is a way to flatten a globes surface into a plane in order to make a map. The mercator projection was used for its portrayal of direction and shape, so it was helpful to the sailors of that time. The decision, he said, was made internally and not put to. In doing so, it can be determined that the peters map is not as powerful of a representation of the world as many think. Projections vary according to the particular purpose of the map. However, for example, it is the map that appears in the majority of rivera classrooms. Learn what a map projection is, why they are used and what impact they have on maps gis systems. The name gallpeters projection seems to have been used first by arthur h. Each comes with tradeoffs, and cartographers make projection decisions based on the particular tasks at hand. The peters projection is an attempt to accurately reflect the land size of all continents equally, but in doing so it distorts distance and direction. Nov 29, 2015 in 1967 arno peters, a german filmmaker, devised a map projection identical to galls orthographic projection and presented it in 1973 as a new invention.
Peters brought the projection to a wider audience beginning in the early 1970s by means of the peters world map. Galls map projection is a so called equal area cylindrical projection. Printable pdf world political map, in gall peters projection full editable, adobe pdf, full vector, scalable, editable text format names, 72 mb zip all countries and disputed teritories with flags ans squares, map for design, printing, arts, projects, presentations, for architects, designers and builders, business, logistics, education. Several items below are available at cost for you to donate to schools th. This projection is very similar to the projection created by prof. Printable pdf world political map, in gallpeters projection full editable, adobe pdf, full vector, scalable, editable text format names, 72 mb zip all countries and disputed teritories with flags ans squares, map for design, printing, arts, projects, presentations, for architects, designers and builders, business, logistics, education.
The peters projection world map is one of the most stimulating, and controversial, images of the world. My pupils found this a very interesting lesson a real wow at the end of it. The challenge of any world map is to represent a round earth on a flat surface. The most common way of getting around this problem is to use a mercator projection. Countries close to the equator barely change, whereas countries further north shrink dramatically. Map projections are created for certain purposes and should be used for those purposes.
Pdf world maps are among the most widely used geomedia products for. I created a vector world map with gallpeters projection using qgis and thought about including it in maptorian. It became somewhat notorious in the 1970s and 1980s when exaggerated grandiose claims were made about it. Arno peters created an equal area map, a new world map that dramatically improves the accuracy of how we see the. Now for the first time, odt is offering our clients, customers, and the general public a free version of the peters projection world map. Apr 25, 2017 the map resorts to mathematics to curtail three major types of distortion area, direction, and distance and hence the german term for triple, tripel, is in the name. Gallpeters map projection the power of cartography.
Because earth has a curving, notquite sphericial shape, planar maps. When this map was first introduced by historian and cartographer dr. Printable world political map 2017, extra detailed in peters projection full editable, adobe pdf, full vector, scalable, editable text format names, 76 mb zip all countries and disputed teritories with flags ans squares, map for design, printing, arts, projects, presentations, for architects, designers and builders, business, logistics, education. This projection is equivalent, that is to say, it preserves the proportion between the areas of the different zones of the earth. In an article concerning the value of the peters projection map, the map has been accused by a student of eric gutsetein, an eighth grade math teacher, of being some sort of propaganda with false information. A projection showing accurate areas is called an equalarea map. This interactive map shows how wrong other maps are. The peters projection controversy and its aftermath. Map projections are important in creating maps with map projections distorting the surface in some way.
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