The Equal Earth Projection: A modern answer to map distortion

The Birth of a New World Map in the 21st Century

One might think that everything in the field of flattening the globe had already been invented. However, in 2018, a team of prominent cartographers (Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny) introduced the Equal Earth projection. It was a direct response to the controversial Gall-Peters projection and the decision by Boston public schools to switch to equal-area maps in classrooms.

The creators' goal was to design a map that preserved the key feature of the Gall-Peters projection – equal-area representation (the true size proportions of continents) – but without the severe shape distortion that made landmasses look unnatural and hard to read.

Mathematical Foundations and Advantages

Equal Earth is a pseudocylindrical projection characterized by curved meridians and flat poles. It possesses several unique geometric features:

• Visually Pleasing Shapes: The shapes of South America and Africa look natural, resembling the popular Robinson projection.
• True Area Proportions: Greenland is displayed at its actual size, and the African continent regains its dominant position on the map.
• Straight Parallels: Parallels are straight horizontal lines, making it easy to compare latitudes (e.g., showing that New York sits at the same latitude as Madrid).

Thanks to these properties, Equal Earth is ideal for presenting global thematic datasets, such as temperature anomalies or population distribution.

Adoption by NASA and Scientific Communities

The projection was immediately embraced by major scientific bodies. NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies adopted the Equal Earth projection for global temperature and climate maps. It is quickly becoming the new standard in school textbooks and scientific publications worldwide. Test this modern projection directly in our interactive map sandbox.