The Robinson Projection is a world map projection designed to make the whole Earth look balanced and easy to read. Instead of preserving one property perfectly, it compromises among shape, area, distance, and direction. This makes it useful for classroom wall maps, atlases, and general world reference maps.
Its curved sides and gently rounded continents help create a visually pleasing picture of the world.
Key Facts
- The Robinson Projection is a compromise projection, so it does not preserve area, shape, distance, or direction perfectly.
- It was created by Arthur H. Robinson in 1963 for general-purpose world maps.
- Distortion is lowest near the center of the map and increases toward the outer edges and poles.
- The central meridian is a straight vertical line, while other meridians curve outward toward the edges.
- Parallels of latitude are straight horizontal lines, but their spacing changes to improve the overall appearance.
- Map scale can be written as scale = map distance / real distance, but on the Robinson Projection the scale varies across the map.
Vocabulary
- Map projection
- A map projection is a method for showing Earth’s curved surface on a flat map.
- Robinson Projection
- The Robinson Projection is a compromise world map projection that balances distortions in shape, size, distance, and direction.
- Distortion
- Distortion is the change in a place’s true shape, area, distance, or direction when Earth is drawn on a flat map.
- Meridian
- A meridian is a line of longitude that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole.
- Parallel
- A parallel is a line of latitude that circles Earth east to west.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming the Robinson Projection shows true sizes everywhere, which is wrong because areas are distorted, especially near the poles.
- Using a Robinson map to measure exact distances, which is wrong because scale changes from place to place across the map.
- Thinking curved outer edges mean Earth itself has that outline, which is wrong because the curves are a result of flattening the globe onto a map.
- Treating the Robinson Projection as best for navigation, which is wrong because it does not preserve direction accurately enough for precise route planning.
Practice Questions
- 1 On a Robinson world map, the distance from the equator to 30 degrees north measures 4.2 cm, while the distance from 30 degrees north to 60 degrees north measures 3.6 cm. What does this tell you about the spacing of latitude lines on the projection?
- 2 A classroom Robinson map has a printed scale near the equator of 1 cm = 1,000 km. Two cities near the equator are 7.5 cm apart on the map. Estimate their real distance using that local scale.
- 3 A student wants to compare the exact land area of Greenland and South America using a Robinson map. Explain why this map can give a helpful general impression but should not be used for an exact area comparison.