The world map you have grown up seeing is the Mercator projection, curated in the 16th century. Surprisingly, despite its prevalence, this is not the most accurate world map known to mankind because it distorts the actual shape and size of the continents.
With scientific reasoning and calculations, we now know that Greenland is not the same size as Africa, Canada, or Siberia. Their sizes are distorted. Similarly, Africa is larger than all of North America, which is also not projected as it should be.
With all of these discrepancies, people are now curious to know more about the accurate map of the world. Enters the AuthaGraph map, which is believed to be the world’s most accurate map. We will discuss world maps in this guide in detail.
Table of Contents
What is AuthaGraph?
Before we discuss the types of world maps available currently, let’s discuss and highlight AuthaGraph and its significance.
AuthaGraph is considered the most accurate world map in a rectangular presentation wherein Antarctica is intact and on the bottom right. On the same map, we have both America and Africa slightly tiled in the inward direction and present on the upper corners.
Also, the longitude and latitude lines run in odd directions due to their disintegrated yet natural spherical configuration. Beyond all of this, the highlight of the AuthaGraph map is how accurate the representation of each continent is.
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What is the Main Type of World Map Projections?
Now that we have a comprehensive understanding of AuthaGraph, let’s dissect the different types of world map projections currently in use.
Robinson
One of the oldest world map projects is the Robinson, drafted by Arthur H. Robinson in 1963. Like the AuthaGraph, the Robinson map also focuses on representing the land shapes and the locations more accurately than you’d find in the Mercator’s map. You also have the combination of parallel lines for latitude and curved lines for longitude.
Goode’s Homolosine
By Strebe – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16115269
Developed in 1925 by John Paul Goode, Goode’s Homolosine is one of the oldest maps in the world. One of the highlights of this map is its ability to minimize distortion by showing proportionately sized continents. However, using directions and distances as the primary means to draw the world map leaves room for extensive distortions.
Winkel Tripel
By Strebe – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16115375
Even older than Goode’s version, Winkel Tripel was developed in 1921 and is one of the few “old” days maps that feature very few distortions in the map concerning the land mass, continents, and areas. The detailing on this map is pretty impressive, too.
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Polar Projection
By Strebe – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16115152
Up next, we have the Polar Projection world map, whose primary focus is to highlight the world’s north and south pole regions. Consider it a type of azimuthal projection. Due to the less inclusion of continents and land masses, there needs to be more distortion to the countries’ and continents’ shape and size. The accuracy is pretty impressive.
AuthaGraph
We discussed and highlighted this as the “most accurate world map” currently known to mankind. It was created by Japanese architect Hajime Narukawa in 1999. Besides the slightly distorted shapes, the highlight of this map lies in its accuracy. One of the elements of this world map that sets it apart from the rest is the inclusion of the Earth having no dead ends or ending points. It is a continuous cycle, which is precisely how the scientific evidence depicts Earth.
What are the Less Talked About World Map Projects?
Beyond the top six world map projects that most of us are aware of, a few options are usually on the backseat and not in people’s radars.
Dymaxion Map
This particular world map project was created in 1954 by R Buckminster Fuller, who worked on it for decades. The representation of the world map is portrayed on top of an icosahedron, which can be folded and then unfolded in two dimensions. The idea behind this map is to present Earth’s continents as “one island.” However, it failed to offer the north-up and south-down projection.
Gall-Peters
Would you have ever thought of a cylindrical world map projection? Well, James Gall and Arno Peters did and created the Gall-Peters world map projection. Initially, it was James Gall who came up with it in 1855. However, it wouldn’t be until 1973 that Arno Peters would go on to heavily market the idea of the cylindrical projection that it was starting to get called “Peters World Map.” His idea behind the map was to help the poor nations to gain their rightful proportions.
Sinu-Mollweide
Dating back to 1953, the Sinu-Mollweide is another often less talked about world map project that deserves to be discussed. It was initially introduced in the 16th century, taking inspiration from Karl Brandan Mollweide’s map of 1805, which focused on representing the “flattened” version of Earth. The only positive thing about this map is the bold colors of the graphic.
Cylindrical Equal Area Projection
Last on the list is the Cylindrical Equal Area Projection, which features straight lines of longitude and latitude. The shapes of the continents and countries are compromised to ensure that the proportional sizes aren’t damaged. If you are looking for an alternative option for the world map projection, this is a good option.
Conclusion
When discussing the most accurate world map known, the AuthaGraph is the one most people now rely on. With its accurate representation of size and land mass, it provides a great visualization of how our world would look on a piece of paper. If you have been curious to learn more about the most accurate world map and its allies, this article has all the relevant information sorted out.
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