Here are a few of the different ways cartographers have tried to depict the Earth. By calculating how much each circle deforms, it is possible to determine how much the map is pulling and stretching the continents out of shape at that point. Called Tissot’s indicatrix, the equation takes the form of circles placed at regular intervals across a map. The problem was so widespread that a French mathematician even developed an eponymous equation to quantify the degree of distortion that a world map experienced. Some were made for specific purposes, while others just tried to find the cartographic sweet spot. Maps are compromises between distorting the angles of latitude and longitude lines and the relative areas of the continents and oceans. Why is an Accurate World Map Hard to Come By?įor centuries, cartographers have made numerous attempts to account for the inconsistency while trying to recreate the most accurate map of the Earth. But the AuthaGraph may be the pinnacle of accuracy.
That’s the difficulty with stretching a sphere to fit a rectangle, and for centuries cartographers have struggled to balance maintaining straight latitudinal lines with the preservation of perspective. In reality though, Africa is larger than all of North America, and the Antarctic is about as big as Australia.
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