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    This module is included inLens: Siyavula: Social Sciences (Gr. 4-6)
    By: SiyavulaAs a part of collection: "Geography Grade 6"

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Map projections

Module by: Siyavula Uploaders. E-mail the author

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Geography

Grade 6

MAP WORK AND PRACTICAL WORK

Module 4

MAP PROJECTIONS

Map projections

  • The only way in which a map of the world can be drawn accurately, is to do it on a round ball such as a globe. However, it is cumbersome to carry these globes of different sizes and shapes around. For this reason different geographers applied different methods to develop flat maps that convey accurate information. Some of these projections are named after the person who developed them, and others were named after the method that was used to develop the projection.

1. The Mercator projection

  • The geographer, Gerhardus Mercator, used the cylindrical method to design his projection. This projection can be compared to a sheet of transparent paper folded in the form of a cylinder, the same size as a globe, and then placed over the globe. After the projection has been traced onto the paper, the paper is flattened, which then forms the Mercator projection.

Mercator projection

Figure 1
Figure 1 (Picture 1.png)

2. Features of the Mercator projection

  • The lines of latitude are straight lines.
  • The lines of longitude are parallel to one another.

The continents have the right shape, but they are enlarged, especially at the Polar

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Definition of a lens

Lenses

A lens is a custom view of the content in the repository. You can think of it as a fancy kind of list that will let you see content through the eyes of organizations and people you trust.

What is in a lens?

Lens makers point to materials (modules and collections), creating a guide that includes their own comments and descriptive tags about the content.

Who can create a lens?

Any individual member, a community, or a respected organization.

What are tags? tag icon

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