All Map Projections Distort Reality
	Turning a three-dimensional object, the earth, into a two-dimensional map creates distortions. Yet we can not do without maps. A map of the world is worth a thousand pictures. Maps help create our world view. They tell us who we are in relation to the other peoples of the earth. In trying to understand the world we live in, it is important that we use a map whose purpose is to give us a geographically accurate image of the world. The Peters projection map (in color) shows areas correctly but not the shapes of the continents. One square inch anywhere on this map represents an equal number of square miles.
Consider the North-South comparison on the Mercator projection (in black and white) which shows distances correctly but not areas. On a Mercator projection, the North (shown in black) is 18.9 million square miles vs. the South (shown in grey) is 38.6 million square miles. Actually, the South is much larger in area than the North. The Peters projection was created in 1974 by Arno Peters who claims that his map "takes us into the 21st century without reproducing existing distortions and biases of other maps. The importance of Peters map goes beyond its superior portrayal of sizes and proportions. The Peters map leads us to a new view of the world." Many international agencies, including the United Nations, now use this "better"  (as in socially justice towards Third World people) map. Unfortunately, this is hardly the case! Critical thinking is not commonly found among people and institutions that should know better; hence, the strong emphasis in Geography 111 on dialectical and ideological thinking.
Created by Ingolf Vogeler 1 February 1996; last revised on 16 September 2010.