Exotic Projections: Peirce, Berghaus and beyond
Beyond the Classic Cylinder and Cone
When we think of a world map, we usually picture a rectangle (like Mercator) or an ellipse (like Mollweide). However, mathematics allows for a much more creative approach to flattening the globe. Over centuries, cartographers, mathematicians, and artists have crafted unusual geometric visions of the world that might seem wild today.
The Peirce Quincuncial Projection (Star Map)
Designed in 1879 by the American philosopher and mathematician Charles Sanders Peirce. It presents the world mapped onto a square, with the North Pole at the center and four distinct cuts along the equator. Interestingly, this projection is conformal (preserving angles) except for four singular points on the equator. One of its greatest advantages is that it can tessellate the plane continuously in all directions. Learn more about it in our catalog: Peirce projection details.
Other Geometric Curiosities
- Berghaus Star: A projection combining an azimuthal projection for the Northern Hemisphere with five star-shaped arms for the Southern Hemisphere. Created in 1879 by Hermann Berghaus, it served for years as the logo of the Association of American Geographers. See details: Berghaus projection details.
- August Epicycloidal: A conformal projection where the world is enclosed within a decorative, three-lobed epicycloidal curve designed by Friedrich August in 1874. It is admired for its symmetry and artistic layout. See details: August projection details.
- Orthographic Globe: A perspective projection showing the Earth from an infinite distance, mimicking a view from outer space. It only displays one hemisphere at a time but offers a realistic 3D appearance. See details: Orthographic projection details.
The Educational Value of Exotic Maps
While these exotic projections are not suitable for daily car navigation, they carry immense educational value. They demonstrate that map distortions can be mathematically rearranged into shapes, opening our minds to the 3D nature of space. Test how these projections distort country shapes in our interactive map sandbox.