Map projections – cylindrical, conic, azimuthal and distortion
GeographyMaps & MappingAges 15–16
Use it with your class: students open it from a link or a QR code, with no account needed.
Next in Maps & Mapping
Earth's curved surface is flattened using three projections: the normal cylindrical (preserves angles and shapes but magnifies area toward the poles), the normal conic (accurate in the mid-latitudes) and the polar azimuthal (accurate near the pole). Click the map or drag the latitude slider to place a reference circle of 800 km radius, then press Play: the circle moves from the Equator to the pole, growing according to the area magnification factor. A comparison shows Greenland (2.17 million km²) against Africa (30.3 million km²), both by true area and by the area drawn under the chosen projection.
Lesson: Methods of representing geographic features on maps – map projections and distortion
What it shows
A sphere cannot be flattened without stretching or tearing, so every map projection distorts area, shape, distance or direction somewhere. The simulation compares three classic projections. The normal cylindrical projection shown here keeps angles and local shapes correct (it is conformal) but enlarges area by about 1/cos²φ away from the Equator, which is why Greenland looks almost as large as Africa although Africa is about 14 times bigger. The normal conic projection is most accurate along its standard parallel in the mid-latitudes, and the polar azimuthal projection is most accurate near the pole.
How to use
Select Cylindrical, Conic or Azimuthal and look at how the graticule is drawn. Drag the Latitude slider or click the map to place the 800 km circle, then press Play to move it from the Equator toward the pole and watch its drawn size grow. For the conic projection, move the Standard parallel and check that distortion is smallest there. Finish by comparing the drawn areas of Greenland and Africa under each projection.
Parameters you can change
- Projection Normal cylindrical (conformal), Normal conic, Polar azimuthal
- Standard parallel (no distortion) 0–60 °
- Latitude of the survey circle -60–80 °
- Show graticule (every 30°)
- Show 800 km reference circle
Questions to explore
- On the cylindrical projection, how many times larger is the 800 km circle drawn at 60° than at the Equator?
- Which projection shows Greenland closest to its true size compared with Africa, and why?
- Why is a conic projection a sensible choice for mapping a country in the mid-latitudes?
