Projection |
| Properties | Suitable for | General use | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conformal | Equal Area | Equidistant | True direction | Perspective | Compromise | Straight rhumbs | World | Hemisphere | Continent/Ocean | Region/Sea | Medium scale | Large Scale | Topographic maps | Geological Maps | Thematic maps | Presentations | Navigation | ||
Mercator | Cylindrical | ● | ○ | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||||||
Transverse Mercator | Cylindrical | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||||||||
Oblique Mercator | Cylindrical | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||||||||
Miller Cylindrical | Cylindrical | ● | ● | ● | |||||||||||||||
Robinson | Pseudocylindrical | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||||||||||
Sinusoidal Equal Area | Pseudocylindrical | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ● | |||||||||||||
Orthographic | Azimuthal | ○ | ● | ○ | |||||||||||||||
Stereographic | Azimuthal | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||||
Gnomonic | Azimuthal | ○ | ● | ○ | ● | ● | |||||||||||||
Azimuthal Equidistant | Azimuthal | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ● | ||||||||||
Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area | Azimuthal | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||||||||
Albers Equal Area Conic | Conic | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||||||||
Lambert Conformal Conic | Conic | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||||
Equidistant Conic | Conic | ○ | ● | ● | |||||||||||||||
Polyconic | Conic | ○ | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | |||||||||||||
(United States Geological Survey, n.d.) | |||||||||||||||||||