Ptolemy's Map of the World

In 150, Claudius Ptolemy a Greek, made a map of the world. He attempted, as have many others, to show the world or parts of the world in a flat format. Ptolemy's projection is still in use on maps made by such esteemed organizations as the American Central Intelligence Agency. The most common map that we all know is one that really does not do that good a job. 

Called the Mercator projection it distorts land masses as the poles are approached. Greenland becomes quite large on a Mercator map. 

Maps have historically served other purposes than to express geography. Religion has been frequently used. We've all seen the maps used for advertising in a given town or city. There are subway maps that are indispensable for movement. 

Safety plans are a type of map and they often depend on specialized geographical maps. In a formal Cowboy Safety program we make a variety of customized maps maps to achieve program goals. 

In my office I have a spherical map that has the North Pole in the lower center. Kugaaruk (formerly Pelly Bay,) Nunavut, Canada is the is the center of the map. Barrow Alaska is in the lower right. This is a map that depicts the market area of the barges that traverse the Northern part of the earth. 

David Sneed