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The Peters Map

The Peters Projection Map © Akademische Verlagsanstalt

Arno Peters, 2001, Germany ©

Dr. Arno Peters was working on a history of the world in He was frustrated to discover that most maps in use at the time did not represent country sizes accurately.

Mercator Map (showing incorrect sizes)

The image of the world we are most familiar with is the Mercator Projection. It was developed is 1569 by Flemish cartographer, Gerhardus Mercator.

Courtesy of the National Geographic Society. Original Mercator Map

Even as recently as 2001, Mercator’s projection was published and sold widely around the world.

Outline Mercator Map

The challenge of Mercator (and Peters) was to find a way to represent the round earth on a flat surface. This technique is called “map projection.”

© Akademische Verlagsanstalt & Projecting the World onto a Plane

Mercator's map projection was intended to aid in navigation. For this purpose it was a very good map, and is still used by airline pilots and ship captains today.

Early Sailing Ship

Current regional sea charts still use the Mercator projection

Current political map on Mercator projection © Rand McNally, 2001

Unfortunately, the widespread popularity of Mercator's image introduces some false notions about the world we live in.

The Northern Hemisphere takes up 2/3 of the map

We rarely think about how the equator is centered BELOW the midpoint of the Mercator projection.

The “North” vs the “South” This means that the Northern Hemisphere countries typically visually dominate and occupy two-thirds of the space on the map.

The “North” vs the “South”

Who would guess that the land mass of the “North” was actually less than half the size of the land mass of the “South”?

Compare Europe to South America

Europe dominated the Mercator image. Can you guess which land mass is larger? Europe or South America?

In reality Europe is smaller.

South America is almost double the size of Europe. The size distortions of the Mercator contribute to some very misleading ideas about how the world “looks.”

Here’s another example…

Which is bigger… Alaska or Mexico?

Alaska vs Mexico

Alaska looks a lot bigger, but…

Compare Alaska to Mexico

Who could imagine that Mexico is actually bigger?

Another example: Greenland vs. China

Greenland vs China

Looks are really deceiving here. China is over four times as large.

Compare Greenland to China

The distortions of size on the Mercator are commonly referred to as the "Greenland Problem." Can you guess why?

Here’s a view from space. Which is larger: Greenland or the Saudi Arabian Peninsula?

Find Greenland

Find the Saudi Arabian Peninsula

Compare the sizes of Greenland and the Saudi Peninsula

You wouldn't know Africa was larger than the former Soviet Union unless you looked at a round globe, or at a flat map projection that shows true sizes.

Compare Africa vs former Soviet Union

The truth? Africa is 33% larger!

Africa is much larger

Compare Scandinavia to India…

Scandinavia vs India

Is “seeing…believing”? Or can “seeing” be deceiving?

Compare Scandinavia to India

Developing nations are often smaller and seem to be less important on the Mercator projection.

Arno Peters, age 59, 1975

In 1974, Dr. Arno Peters introduced a map projection that represented all countries (as well as Ocean areas) at true size and true proportion.

Since that time, over 82 million copies of Dr. Peters’ maps have been distributed.

What do you think?

THE END

© 2007, ODT, Inc. Permission granted to use this presentation in schools and nonprofit organizations

Supplemental Slides Follow

Many teachers use outline maps to teach geography.

Peters Outline Map

Peters felt it was time to move beyond an image of the world that was characterized by colonial domination.

Peters was concerned with world poverty and the inequity between the developed nations and the developing nations.

Developed vs developing nations

The Brandt Report

Peters recognized that maps had hidden messages.

He put his own agenda right on his map: Fairness to all people!

Notice how the Mercator is color-coded to indicate European nations and their colonial dependencies.

Mercator Image © Rand McNally

What subliminal message might that communicate?

The Peters map colors highlight regional identities, rather than who owned whom.

A NEW VIEW OF THE WORLD the teacher’s guide to the Peters Map

Another way to represent the world is by making a map based on military spending rather than land area. Here’s what that map would look like.

Military Cartogram

Optical Illusions are another way the eye can be fooled.

Contrary to the illusion created by the background lines A, B, & C are of equal size.

Dr. Peters worked on his comprehensive history of the world for over 12 years

Dr. Peters work spanned the course of 5,000 years of human history.

Synchronoptische Weltgeschichte

Dr. Peters believed that his projection is best. He supported this assertion in his book, THE NEW CARTOGRAPHY

"The Europe-centered Character of our Geographical View of the World and its Correction“ What do you think?

The first Peters Map was printed in German and included a series of images of the earth surrounding it.

Peters understood the dilemma that all flat maps introduce distortions of one kind or another.

Think of map projections as different points of view. Each one valuable, each one necessarily limiting our view of the whole planet.

Other equal area projections

In 2001, the Peters Map Was featured on the TV show, The West Wing

But Dr. Peters showed the world from a South-on-top point-of-view as early as 1987!

South on top is just a different point of view.

Why would an oceanographer prefer a Peters Map over a Mercator?

Mercator vs Peters Mercator Map Peters Map

Here is a picture of ocean temperatures. Red is Warm. Blue is cold.

Mercator & Peters Oceanographic Map Mercator Map Peters Map

Which of the two maps shows a warmer ocean? Courtesy of Dr. Matthias Tomczak

Both maps are based on the same data and therefore show the same information. Courtesy of Dr. Matthias Tomczak

It is always important to understand the projection and its properties when looking at a map.

The two maps display identical information but the Peters projection shows it in area-conserving form and therefore shows the true extent of the tropics. Courtesy of Dr. Matthias Tomczak

Remember, the region between 30°N and 30°S makes up half of the earth's surface! Courtesy of Dr. Matthias Tomczak

Oceanographers and meteorologists who study the ocean's role in climate variability and climate change have to Courtesy of Dr. Matthias Tomczak

quantify the exchange processes which occur at the interface between ocean and atmosphere. Courtesy of Dr. Matthias Tomczak

Obviously, a map which does not represent the various regions of the ocean at their true size is likely to lead to false impressions. Courtesy of Dr. Matthias Tomczak

Different projections serve different purposes. The choice of the correct projection for a given task is part of the preparation which goes into the task. Courtesy of Dr. Matthias Tomczak

The work of Dr. Matthias Tomczak is based on collaborative research with his professor, Dr. Gunther Krause of Kiel, Germany. Courtesy of Dr. Matthias Tomczak

“Do Marine Scientists have a scientific view of the earth?” from OCEANOGRAPHY Volume 8, No 1, 1995 Courtesy of Dr. Matthias Tomczak

A question...

Why do you think oceanographers use a map that is centered on Australia?

A Pacific-centered Peters Map © Akademische Verlagsanstalt

A question...

What are the different messages these two different Peters maps send? © Akademische Verlagsanstalt

A question...

How much of the earth's surface area is covered by water?

The Pacific Centered Peters Map is a physical map, indicating the different types of terrain by color coding. © Akademische Verlagsanstalt

Sample pages from the Peters Atlas of the World © Akademische Verlagsanstalt

Sample pages from the Peters Atlas of the World © Akademische Verlagsanstalt

Sample pages from the Peters Atlas of the World © Akademische Verlagsanstalt

Sample pages from the Peters Atlas of the World © Akademische Verlagsanstalt

Sample pages from the Peters Atlas of the World © Akademische Verlagsanstalt

Sample pages from the Peters Atlas of the World © Akademische Verlagsanstalt

Peters Atlas Courtesy of Oxford Cartographers and

For further information about the Peters Projection Map contact: In North America: ODT, Inc

For further information about the Peters Projection Map contact: Outside North America: Oxford Cartographers (0) Kartographe Huber Dürrstrasse Munich Germany Phone or