27.08.2011The amount of different types and variations of map projections is nowadays grown
up to more than
200. They vary in properties and usage:
- for the display of topographic
data maily conformal projections are used
- for thematic and statistical
data very often equivalent projections are used, or also equidistant.
- for navigation, conformal
projections are used. A very often used projection therefor is/was the
Mercator projection which also is keeping the lines of same azimuth (loxodrom) as straight
lines
- For very small scale maps in publications
and for wall maps, often also composed projections
are used.
An overview of popular map projections is given in the following table. The main classification
is
done based on their deformation properties, and their mapping surface. Their main use is given.
|
Distortion
property
|
Mapping
surface
|
Aspect
|
Projections
|
Area of Use (Extent)
|
|
conformal
|
cylinder
|
normal
|
|
- World
- equator regions: east-west extent
|
|
|
|
transverse
|
|
- a system for the world except polar
region
(see UPS)
|
|
|
|
|
|
- smaller regions, with north-south
extent
|
|
|
|
oblique
|
|
- smaller regions, oblique and east-west
extent
|
|
|
cone
|
normal
|
|
- smaller regions, oblique and east-west
extent
|
|
|
plane
|
any aspect
|
|
- small regions up to hemisphere
|
|
|
|
polar
|
|
- polar regions, (other regions see
UTM)
|
|
equal area
|
cylinder
|
normal
|
|
- equatorial with east-west extent
|
|
|
pseudo
cylinder
|
|
|
|
|
|
cone
|
normal
|
|
- smaller regions and continents with
east-
west extent
|
|
|
pseudo
cone
|
|
|
- smaller regions, east-west extent
|
|
|
plane
|
any aspect
|
|
- smaller regions, about same north-south,
east-west extent
|
|
|
|
mainly
equatorial
|
|
|
|
equidistant
|
cylinder
|
normal
|
|
|
|
|
|
transverse
|
|
- locally used for large scale mapping
|
|
|
cone
|
normal
|
|
- smaller regions and continents with
east-
west extent
|
|
|
plane
|
any aspect
|
|
- smaller regions, about same north-south,
east-west extent
|
|
others
|
poly- super-
ficial
|
normal
|
|
- locally used for large scale mapping
|
Overview about often used map projections together with their extential main
use [Voser 2003]. 
related information
