Gall–Peters projection
An equal-area map projection at the center of political controversy.
The Gall–Peters projection is a rectangular, equal-area map projection that distorts most shapes, like all equal-area projections. It is a cylindrical equal-area projection with latitudes 45° north and south as the regions on the map that have no distortion. The projection is named after James Gall and Arno Peters. It achieved notoriety in the late 20th century as the centerpiece of a controversy about the political implications of map design.
- type
- Map projection
- inventors
- James Gall and Arno Peters
- standard_parallels
- 45° N and 45° S
- property
- Equal-area
- also_known_as
- Peters projection, Gall orthographic
Lore & Background
He gave it the name 'orthographic'. The projection initially passed unnoticed when presented by Gall. Arno Peters, a German filmmaker, independently devised a similar projection and brought it to a wider audience beginning in the early 1970s through his 'Peters World Map'. Peters's original description contained a geometric error that, taken literally, implies standard parallels of 46°02′ N/S, but the accompanying text made clear he intended 45° N/S, making his projection identical to Gall's.
Reader's Guide
The Gall–Peters projection became a focal point of controversy in the late 20th century due to its political implications. Arno Peters promoted it as a superior alternative to the Mercator projection, arguing that Mercator greatly distorts the relative sizes of regions, causing wealthy Europe and North America to appear very large relative to poorer Africa and South America. These arguments swayed many socially concerned groups, including the National Council of Churches and the magazine New Internationalist. Peters bolstered his campaign with inaccurate claims that the Gall–Peters projection was the only 'area-correct' map, that it possessed 'absolute angle conformality', had 'no extreme distortions of form', and was 'totally distance-factual'. The cartographic community reacted with hostility to Peters's criticisms, which framed the profession as clinging to outdated, Eurocentric precepts. The name 'Gall–Peters projection' was first used by Arthur H. In recent years, 'Gall–Peters' seems to dominate usage.
Did You Know?
- The projection has standard parallels at 45° north and south, where there is no distortion.
- Peters inaccurately claimed the projection was the only 'area-correct' map and had 'absolute angle conformality'.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Gall–Peters projection's powers and role?
Its signature ability is equal-area: every country or territory occupies the correct proportional footprint on the page. The only places where shapes come out perfectly undistorted are along the 45° north and 45° south standard parallels.
How does Gall–Peters projection's story end?
There is no tidy final chapter; instead, its legacy is a late-20th-century controversy that never fully settled. It remains a polarizing figure in cartography, championed by those who see it as a corrective to Eurocentric maps and criticized by those who find its shape distortions unacceptable.
Why is Gall–Peters projection important?
It turned a technical design choice into a public political argument, forcing people to confront the idea that picking one projection over another can make continents look bigger or smaller than they really are. That debate broadened the conversation about neutrality in visual representation far beyond the map-making community.
What are Gall–Peters projection's known weaknesses?
As with every equal-area projection, it warps the outlines of most landmasses, and the effect is most dramatic for regions far from the equator. This makes it visually striking but less practical for tasks that rely on true shape, such as navigation or comparative geography.
More in Maps & Their Symbols 1-24
Elsewhere in the Maps & Their Symbols universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record