The World Map with Many Faces — Map Projections | by Milan Janosov | Oct, 2023
The Earth is kind of a sphere, definitely a 3D object (regardless of some challenges even this), whereas our printed maps and digital screens are 2D. The intermediate step that transforms the sphere into our 2D maps, whether or not or not it’s a cartographic atlas or a flowery GIS app, known as map projection.
There are quite a few methods to map the ellipsoidal floor of the Earth right into a flat floor; nonetheless, as these are approximative fashions, there often are some shortcomings we’d like to bear in mind. In some projections, relative angles and polygon (e.g., nation) shapes are preserved; in others, the actual space or particular Euclidean distances are saved fixed. These properties additionally allow you to choose one of the best projection to your use case.
As for the kinds of projections, there are a number of methods, equivalent to cylindrical, conic, azimuthal, and pseudocylindrical projections. A sensible methodology of remodeling from each other is to vary the coordinate reference programs (CRS), the place Python and the libraries PyProj and GeoPandas got here in very helpful!
In line with Mathematics.com, there are six predominant classes of projection sorts:
- Cylindric
- Pseudocylindric
- Azimuthal
- Lenticular
- Miscellaneous
Right here, I can’t observe such a strict categorization however fairly present you 9 map projections that I assumed seemed attention-grabbing. Relying on the particular projection, these steps often end in distortion of form, space, distance, or route, so you must select fastidiously when going for a real-life venture. For that, this collection of projection systems and my code supplied under ought to assist. So, with out additional ado, the maps:
1. Eckert II Projection
Traits: The Eckert II projection is an equal-area pseudocylindrical projection. It preserves space accuracy however distorts shapes and distances.
Frequent Use: Moslty used for novelty maps of the world exhibiting a straight-line equal space…
