Mercator projection

Or Mercator's projection

noun

Cartography.

1. a conformal projection on which any rhumb line is represented as a straight line, used chiefly in navigation, though the scale varies with latitude and areal size and the shapes of large areas are greatly distorted.

Mercator projection

/ mɜːˈkeɪtə /

noun

1. Also called: Mercator's projection. an orthomorphic map projection on which parallels and meridians form a rectangular grid, scale being exaggerated with increasing distance from the equator

Mercator projection

1. A cylindrical projection of the Earth's surface developed by Gerhardus Mercator. As in other such projections, the areas farther from the equator appear larger, making the polar regions greatly distorted. However, the faithful representation of direction in a Mercator projection makes it ideal for navigation.

2. See more at cylindrical projection

Mercator projection

1. A way of showing the sphere of the Earth on the flat surface of a map. Because this projection is centered on the equator, in order to maintain the correct shape of the features shown, the spacing between the parallels of latitude increases with the increasing distance from the equator. This tends to enlarge the size of those features located nearer the poles, such as Greenland or New Zealand, giving a false picture of their relative size.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mercator projection¹

First recorded in 1660–70

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mercator projection¹

C17: named after G. _Mercator