Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594):
* Famous for: The Mercator projection, a cylindrical map projection.
* Strengths: Preserves shapes and angles, making it excellent for navigation.
* Weaknesses: Distorts areas, particularly at higher latitudes (making continents near the poles appear larger than they really are).
Arno Peters (1916-2002):
* Famous for: The Gall-Peters projection, which he popularized as the "Peters Projection".
* Strengths: Accurately depicts the relative areas of land masses, highlighting the size of countries in the global south.
* Weaknesses: Distorts shapes, particularly at higher latitudes (making countries near the poles appear elongated).
Key Differences:
* Mercator's goal: To create a map for navigation, preserving angles and shapes.
* Peters's goal: To accurately depict the relative sizes of land masses, especially addressing the distortion in Mercator's projection.
Debate:
The choice between the two projections often sparks debate. Mercator's projection is still widely used for navigation and in atlases, while the Peters projection has gained popularity for its emphasis on geographic accuracy. The debate centers around which projection more accurately represents the world, and the political implications of each choice.