The widely recognized Mercator projection was developed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator.
According to cartography Professor James Cheshire of University College London, its primary purpose was to assist European sailors in ocean navigation.
“He wanted a straight line to be drawn on a map to look like a straight line in reality if you followed a compass bearing,” Cheshire explained to the BBC. “That was what it was intended to do, and that is what it does brilliantly well.”
To preserve these angles accurately on a flat surface, Mercator had to progressively expand the grid lines as they extended from the equator toward the poles.
This design compensates for the Earth’s curvature by depicting equatorial regions as considerably smaller than their true size while making nations closer to the poles appear disproportionately stretched.
The distortion occurs because it is mathematically impossible to perfectly translate a three-dimensional spherical surface onto a two-dimensional plane.
More than four and a half centuries later, Mercator’s projection continues to serve as the foundation for many of the maps displayed in classrooms, broadcast on television, and accessed online, including platforms like Google Maps.
However, critics argue that the Mercator projection carries a psychological impact, suggesting that viewing certain regions as smaller than they truly are while others appear larger reinforces an unconscious perception that bigger territories hold greater significance.
For Kenyan geographer Kioko Muendo, this representation has subtly diminished recognition of Africa’s vast resources, population, and economic potential.
“Maps are more than just guides for travelers—they shape how regions are perceived politically and economically,” Muendo told the BBC.
