If you have ever seen a map of the world in a classroom or in an atlas, chances are you have seen a version of a “Mercator projection.” You may not, however, be familiar with its creator, Gerardus Mercator.
Grades
5 - 8
Subjects
Geography, Physical Geography, Social Studies, World History
Image
Geradus Mercator's world maps flattened the spherical planet to make it easier to display. Displays of the landmasses are not necessarily proportional to their actual size, especially toward the poles. Despite these distortions, his maps are still in heavy use. Though Mercator is best known for his cylindrical maps, he created various map types, like this spherical map.
Image by Mary Evans/Science Source
If you have ever seen a map of the world in a classroom or in an atlas, chances are you have seen the work of Gerardus Mercator, a 16th-century Flemish cartographer (mapmaker). His most famous work, the Mercator projection, is a geographical chart where the spherical globe is flattened into a two-dimensional map, with latitude and longitude lines drawn in a straight grid. Mercator’s view of the world is one that has endured through the centuries and still helps navigators today.
Mercator was born in Flanders (located in modern-day Belgium) in 1512. The son of a cobbler, Mercator grew up in a poor family. He graduated from the University of Louvain in 1532, where he studied mathematics, geography, and astronomy. After graduating, Mercator developed his skills as an engraver, calligrapher, and geographer, and then began making globes and scientific instruments. As his reputation grew, Mercator published several maps of places around the world. These included an early version of his world map, which showed the globe as a heart-shaped projection.
He continued studying the sciences and making maps and instruments for wealthy, and sometimes high-profile, clients. But in 1544, Mercator was arrested under suspicion of heresy; the traveling he did for research had made church officials wary. After spending a few months in prison, he was released and continued his studies.
In 1569, Mercator published his epic world map. This map, with its Mercator projection, was designed to help sailors navigate around the globe. They could use latitude and longitude lines to plot a straight route. Mercator’s projection laid out the globe as a flattened version of a cylinder. All the latitude and longitude lines intersected at 90-degree angles. Because the projection was intended to be a reference for navigation and not land geography, the landmasses on the map are not necessarily proportional to their actual size; at higher latitudes, landmasses appear larger than their actual size. Despite these distortions, Mercator’s projection is still heavily used today.
In addition to publishing his famous projection, Mercator was the pioneer of another geographical tool we use to this day. He coined the term “atlas” (named after the Greek mythological figure who held the world on his shoulders) to describe a collection of maps. Mercator continued his cartography work for the rest of his life, publishing parts of his atlas until his death in 1594.
Image by Mary Evans/Science Source
person who does calligraphy, a decorative handwriting or script.
person who makes maps.
representation that is twisted, mistaken, or false.
act or situation opposing the strict rules of a church.
line of longitude, dividing the Earth by north-south.
person who is among the first to do something.
flat representation of a sphere.
amount.
corresponding in size, degree, or intensity.
rounded and three-dimensional.
Whether your map is paper or digital, mastering the basics of reading it are vital to finding your way around and understanding how the world works. Maps are fantastic visual tools that can help us communicate spatial concepts and patterns, tell stories, and analyze data. However, there are some challenges to translating Earth onto a flat surface without adding bias or inaccuracies. Fortunately, cartographers have the training to minimize these issues. Maps have been a part of the National Geographic Society since the beginning. Gilbert H. Grosvenor, the first full-time editor of National Geographic, described maps as “the greatest of all epic poems. It's lines and colors show the realization of great dreams.” Learn more about the basics of reading a map, creating a map, and choosing the best map projection.
A map is a symbolic representation of selected characteristics of a place, usually drawn on a flat surface
Students look at lines of latitude and longitude on United States and world maps, discuss why these lines are helpful, and identify landmarks with similar latitude and longitude.
Cartographers at National Geographic discuss how they select an appropriate map projection for the September 2012 issue.
Whether your map is paper or digital, mastering the basics of reading it are vital to finding your way around and understanding how the world works. Maps are fantastic visual tools that can help us communicate spatial concepts and patterns, tell stories, and analyze data. However, there are some challenges to translating Earth onto a flat surface without adding bias or inaccuracies. Fortunately, cartographers have the training to minimize these issues. Maps have been a part of the National Geographic Society since the beginning. Gilbert H. Grosvenor, the first full-time editor of National Geographic, described maps as “the greatest of all epic poems. It's lines and colors show the realization of great dreams.” Learn more about the basics of reading a map, creating a map, and choosing the best map projection.
A map is a symbolic representation of selected characteristics of a place, usually drawn on a flat surface
Students look at lines of latitude and longitude on United States and world maps, discuss why these lines are helpful, and identify landmarks with similar latitude and longitude.
Cartographers at National Geographic discuss how they select an appropriate map projection for the September 2012 issue.