Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
are much broader. The following examples highlight a few widely used pro-
jections for each of the four projection properties.
Lambert
The Lambert conformal conic projection preserves only
angles. Used for mapping continents or similar areas, it is
commonly used for areas with an east-west orientation—
for example, the continental United States.
Sinusoidal
The sinusoidal equal area projection preserves areas, but
distorts angles and shapes. It is used for maps showing
distribution patterns.
Mercator
The very common Mercator projection is a conformal
projection with the very unusual quality of showing lines
of constant bearing (called
loxodromes
or
rhumb lines
)as
straight lines. This made the Mercator projection very
These six different projections show the countries of the world.
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