Map projections – cylindrical, conic, azimuthal and distortion

GeographyMaps & MappingAges 15–16

Earth's curved surface is flattened using three projections: the normal cylindrical (preserves angles and shapes but magnifies area toward the poles), the normal conic (accurate in the mid-latitudes) and the polar azimuthal (accurate near the pole). Click the map or drag the latitude slider to place a reference circle of 800 km radius, then press Play: the circle moves from the Equator to the pole, growing according to the area magnification factor. A comparison shows Greenland (2.17 million km²) against Africa (30.3 million km²), both by true area and by the area drawn under the chosen projection.