Since the beginning of time, mankind has constructed fantasy worlds, and since the beginning of cartography, there have presumably been fantasy maps to go with them. However, in recent years, the field of fantasy cartography has seen a marked rise in interest. Nowadays it's quite common for fantasy novels to include fictional maps of their …
Category: Mapthematics
Introducing the Elastic projections
It's well known that every world map is inaccurate, to one degree or another. The amount of distortion it introduces to the geographic features on it depends on the specific map projection used. Hundreds of map projections have been invented over the last two thousand years, but many commentators, including myself, remain …
Introducing the Danseiji Projections
Update 2024: There is now a new and improved version of these projections called the Elastic projections that I recommend you use instead. See "Introducing the Elastic projections". For centuries, cartographers have wrestled with the challenges of making accurate maps. They were limited by not only the mathematical impossibility of …
A Defense of the Mercator Projection
Note: This article was originally written for my college's informal school newspaper, Frankly Speaking. I'm republishing it here in a slightly modified form. If you've ever dabbled in cartography, geography, cultural imperialism, or that one scene from The West Wing, you've probably heard of the Mercator projection. If not, you've certainly seen it. The Mercator … Continue reading A Defense of the Mercator Projection
The secrets of the AuthaGraph revealed!
For years, the AuthaGraph has been an intriguing but elusive map projection that has dazzled the press, impressed laypeople, and confounded cartographers. After winning the "Good Design Award" for its creator, Hajime Narukawa, back in 2016, the AuthaGraph took the media by storm, being praised by some as "Revolutionary", "Probably The Most Accurate World Map … Continue reading The secrets of the AuthaGraph revealed!
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