a projection in which the shortest distance between any point and a central point is a straight line, such a line representing a great circle through the central point.
An azimuthal map projection designed so that a straight line from the central point on the map to any other point gives the shortest distance between the two points. Azimuthal equidistant maps are used mainly for plotting direction and distance from the map's central point, but measurements originating from other points on the map can be greatly distorted.
