Mercator vs Equal Earth: Why Map Projections Matter for Future Geography and GIS Students
A world map can look like neutral fact. Yet when a round Earth is placed on a flat page or screen, something must change: shape, area, distance, or direction. That is why understanding map projections is not only a Geography lesson. It is practical training in reading data, questioning visualisations, and making location-based decisions.
Public attention to projection choice has grown again after reporting on a push to move away from Mercator as a general world-map display and consider Equal Earth instead.[1] For Indonesian secondary-school students, this is a useful entry point to Geography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), cartography, remote sensing, and data visualisation.
No flat world map is perfect
Earth is three-dimensional, while posters, atlases, and phone screens are two-dimensional. A map projection is a mathematical method for converting positions on Earth’s surface into positions on a flat map. The conversion always introduces distortion; the real question is which distortion is acceptable for the purpose of the map.
The Mercator projection was developed in 1569 to support maritime navigation.[1] It is especially useful when preserving local direction matters, allowing particular sailing routes to be drawn as straight lines. It does not, however, preserve the relative areas of regions. Places farther from the equator appear much larger than they are in reality.[1]
So a map comparison should not end with “which one looks correct?” A better question is: what job was this map designed to do?
What is different about Equal Earth?
Equal Earth is a pseudocylindrical world-map projection designed in 2018 by Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny.[2] PROJ, an open geospatial software project documenting the projection, explains that Equal Earth retains the relative size of areas, unlike the Robinson projection that inspired its appearance.[2]
In practical terms, “equal-area” means a region is not made relatively larger or smaller than another region. This makes Equal Earth useful when readers need to compare the scale of places—for example, in maps of population distribution, forest cover, climate risk, agricultural production, or global statistics.
Equal Earth is not distortion-free. Shape, distance, and direction cannot all be accurate everywhere at once. It is therefore not a universal replacement for every map. It is a better fit for particular purposes, especially global communication where fairer comparison of area matters.
Why does this matter to Indonesian students?
When students see an infographic about climate change, trade, population, disasters, or migration, they may go straight to the numbers and colours. But projection choice can also influence the visual impression of a map. Map literacy means asking:
- Which projection is being used?
- Is the map intended for navigation, area comparison, distance measurement, or showing a data pattern?
- Which parts of the world are most distorted?
- Are the legend, scale, source, and data year visible?
- Does the visual conclusion match the data being shown?
These habits make students more critical readers of visual evidence, not simply better at memorising country locations. The same skills matter when interpreting business dashboards, flood maps, transport routes, public-health maps, and satellite imagery.
Connections to Geography, GIS, and related degrees
If you enjoy maps, environments, cities, technology, or data, map projection may be a clue that a geospatial field could suit you. At overseas universities, the topic may appear in several types of programme.
Geography
Geography connects physical processes—such as climate, landscapes, and hazards—with human activity, including urbanisation, mobility, development, and spatial inequality. Maps help students frame questions, test patterns, and communicate findings.
GIS and Geospatial Science
GIS brings together location, databases, mapping, spatial analysis, and sometimes programming. Students may learn to choose coordinate reference systems, manage location data, create thematic maps, and analyse patterns. The Geographical Association notes that maps, atlases, and GIS help learners identify, plot, and represent features while examining spatial decision-making.[3]
Cartography and Data Visualisation
Cartography is not simply map drawing. It considers design, symbols, colour, labels, projection, accessibility, and the ethics of visual communication. Data visualisation extends those questions to charts, dashboards, and data stories. Students who enjoy both design and analysis may find this combination appealing.
Environmental Science, Urban Planning, and Remote Sensing
Mapping also supports forest monitoring, water-quality work, disaster-risk reduction, city planning, transport, environmental health, and satellite-image analysis. Different programmes emphasise different areas: Environmental Science may focus more on natural processes; Urban Planning on cities and policy; Remote Sensing often on sensor data and imagery.
Skills you can start building in high school
You do not need to wait for university to practise spatial thinking. Start with a small project that you can explain well:
- Compare two projections. Observe how Indonesia, Greenland, Africa, or Russia changes. Do not just say they look different; explain the type of distortion and the purpose of each map.
- Create a simple thematic map. Use open data with a clear source and year, then answer one question—for example, the distribution of green space, public facilities, or land-use change in one area.
- Record design decisions. Explain why you chose colours, data classes, projection, scale, and labels. This documentation shows your thinking.
- Build data foundations. Spreadsheets, descriptive statistics, visualisation, and introductory coding can strengthen a GIS portfolio.
- Use location data ethically. Do not map private addresses, vulnerable groups, or sensitive places in ways that could put people at risk.
For a university application, a strong portfolio does not have to be complicated. It needs a clear question, transparent data sources, explainable methods, and reflection on the map’s limitations.
How to assess an overseas programme
When exploring Geography or GIS programmes in Australia, the UK, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, or elsewhere, look beyond the degree title. Check:
- modules in GIS, cartography, remote sensing, statistics, or programming;
- fieldwork, studio, or capstone-project options;
- geospatial software and laboratory facilities;
- internship opportunities or collaboration with government, industry, or environmental organisations;
- staff research and examples of student work;
- senior-secondary subjects, grades, English-language requirements, portfolios, and application deadlines on the university’s official pages.
Degree names can sound similar while the curriculum differs substantially. Verify entry requirements, fees, scholarships, visas, and deadlines directly with each institution because these details can change.
From a map to a way of thinking
The Mercator–Equal Earth discussion is not an instruction to treat one image as the only truth. Its key lesson is that visual representations involve technical choices and interpretive consequences. Students who learn to ask about a map’s purpose, source, method, and limitations are developing habits that matter in Geography, GIS, science, design, and data-informed decision-making.
If you want to explore overseas degrees in Geography, GIS, Environmental Science, Urban Planning, or geospatial fields, RIM Education can help you map study options that fit your interests, academic profile, and future plan. Start with a consultation at https://rimeducation.com/en/contact-us.
Sources
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/04/un-vote-world-map-mercator-equal-earth-africa — UN to vote on adopting new world map that shows Africa’s true scale — The Guardian [2] https://proj.org/en/stable/operations/projections/eqearth.html — Equal Earth — PROJ documentation [3] https://geography.org.uk/blogs/how-mapping-and-the-use-of-gis-enrich-geographical-thought-and-action — How mapping and the use of GIS enrich geographical thought and action — Geographical Association