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Summary and Guide to Projections

Use projections to display latitude-longitude coordinate data on maps. Choose a projection method by considering these criteria:

These tables show the map projections you can use with map projection structures and axesm-based maps. For more information about map projection structures, see defaultm. For more information about axesm-based maps, see axesm.

Note

Most projection IDs are also functions on the MATLAB® search path. These functions are only used in the implementation of functions such as defaultm and axesm, and therefore their syntaxes are not documented.

Cylindrical Projections

Projection Name

Projection ID

Equal-AreaConformalEquidistantSpecial Features

Example

Balthasart

balthsrt

✔

x

x

—

World map using Balthasart projection

Behrmann

behrmann

✔

x

x

—

World map using Behrmann projection

Bolshoi Sovietskii Atlas Mira

bsam

x

x

x

—

World map using Bolshoi Sovietskii Atlas Mira projection

Braun Perspective

braun

x

x

x

—

World map using Braun perspective projection

Cassini

cassini

x

x

✔

—

World map using Cassini projection

Cassini – Standard

cassinistd

x

x

x

—

World map using standard Cassini projection

Central

ccylin

x

x

x

—

World map using central projection

Equal-Area Cylindrical

eqacylin

✔

x

x

—

World map using equal-area cylindrical projection

Equidistant Cylindrical

eqdcylin

x

x

✔

—

World map using equidistant cylindrical projection

Gall Isographic

giso

x

x

✔

—

World map using Gall isographic projection

Gall Orthographic

gortho

✔

x

x

—

World map using Gall orthographic projection

Gall Stereographic

gstereo

x

x

x

—

World map using Gall stereographic projection

Lambert Equal-Area Cylindrical

lambcyln

✔

x

x

—

World map using Lambert equal-area cylindrical projection

Mercator

mercator

x

✔

x

Rhumb lines are straight.

World map using Mercator projection

Miller

miller

x

x

x

—

World map using Miller projection

Plate Carrée

pcarree

x

x

✔

—

World map using Plate Carrée projection

Transverse Mercator

tranmerc

x

✔

x

—

World map using transverse Mercator projection

Trystan Edwards

trystan

✔

x

x

—

World map using Trystan Edwards projection

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)

utm

x

✔

x

—

—

Wetch

wetch

x

x

x

—

World map using Wetch projection

Pseudocylindrical Projections

Projection Name

Projection ID

Equal-Area

Conformal

Equidistant

Special Features

Example

Apianus II

apianus

x

x

x

—

World map using Apianus 2 projection

Collignon

collig

✔

x

x

—

World map using Collignon projection

Craster Parabolic

craster

✔

x

x

—

World map using Craster parabolic projection

Eckert I

eckert1

x

x

x

—

World map using Eckert 1 projection

Eckert II

eckert2

✔

x

x

—

World map using Eckert 2 projection

Eckert III

eckert3

x

x

x

—

World map using Eckert 3 projection

Eckert IV

eckert4

✔

x

x

—

World map using Eckert 4 projection

Eckert V

eckert5

x

x

x

—

World map using Eckert 5 projection

Eckert VI

eckert6

✔

x

x

—

World map using Eckert 6 projection

Fournier

fournier

✔

x

x

—

World map using Fournier projection

Goode Homolosine

goode

✔

x

x

—

World map using Goode Homolosine projection

Hatano Asymmetrical Equal-Area

hatano

✔

x

x

—

World map using Hatano asymmetrical equal-area projection

Kavraisky V

kavrsky5

✔

x

x

—

World map using Kavraisky 5 projection

Kavraisky VI

kavrsky6

✔

x

x

—

World map using Kavraisky 6 projection

Loximuthal

loximuth

x

x

x

Rhumb lines from the central point are straight, true to scale, and correct in azimuth.

World map using loximuthal projection

McBryde-Thomas Flat-Polar Parabolic

flatplrp

✔

x

x

—

World map using McBryde-Thomas flat-polar parabolic projection

McBryde-Thomas Flat-Polar Quartic

flatplrq

✔

x

x

—

World map using McBryde-Thomas flat-polar quartic projection

McBryde-Thomas Flat-Polar Sinusoidal

flatplrs

✔

x

x

—

World map using McBryde-Thomas flat-polar sinusoidal projection

Mollweide

mollweid

✔

x

x

—

World map using Mollweide projection

Putnins P5

putnins5

x

x

x

—

World map using Putnins P5 projection

Quartic Authalic

quartic

✔

x

x

—

World map using quartic authalic projection

Robinson

robinson

x

x

x

—

World map using Robinson projection

Sinusoidal

sinusoid

✔

x

x

—

World map using sinusoidal projection

Tissot Modified Sinusoidal

modsine

✔

x

x

—

World map using Tissot modified sinusoidal projection

Wagner IV

wagner4

✔

x

x

—

World map using Wagner 4 projection

Winkel 1

winkel

x

x

x

—

World map using Winkel 1 projection

Conic Projections

Projection Name

Projection ID

Equal-Area

Conformal

Equidistant

Special Features

Example

Albers Equal-Area Conic

eqaconic

✔

x

x

—

World map using Albers equal-area conic projection

Albers Equal-Area Conic – Standard

eqaconicstd

✔

x

x

—

World map using standard Albers equal-area conic projection

Equidistant Conic

eqdconic

x

x

✔

—

World map using equidistant conic projection

Equidistant Conic – Standard

eqdconicstd

x

x

✔

—

World map using standard equidistant conic projection

Lambert Conformal Conic

lambert

x

✔

x

—

World map using Lambert conformal conic projection

Lambert Conformal Conic – Standard

lambertstd

x

✔

x

—

World map using standard Lambert conformal conic projection

Murdoch I Conic

murdoch1

x

x

✔

The total area is correct.

World map using Murdoch 1 conic projection

Murdoch III Minimum Error Conic

murdoch3

x

x

✔

The total area is correct.

World map using Murdoch 3 minimum error conic projection

Pseudoconic Projections

Projection Name

Projection ID

Equal-Area

Conformal

Equidistant

Special Features

Example

Bonne

bonne

✔

x

x

—

World map using Bonne projection

Werner

werner

✔

x

x

—

World map using Werner projection

Polyconic Projections

Projection Name

Projection ID

Equal-Area

Conformal

Equidistant

Special Features

Example

Polyconic

polycon

x

x

x

—

World map using polyconic projection

Polyconic – Standard

polyconstd

x

x

x

—

World map using standard polyconic projection

Van Der Grinten I

vgrint1

x

x

x

—

World map using Van Der Grinten 1 projection

Azimuthal Projections

Projection Name

Projection ID

Equal-Area

Conformal

Equidistant

Special Features

Example

Breusing Harmonic Mean

breusing

x

x

x

—

World map using Breusing harmonic mean projection

Equidistant Azimuthal

eqdazim

x

x

✔

—

World map using equidistant azimuthal projection

Gnomonic

gnomonic

x

x

x

Great circles appear as straight lines.

World map using gnomonic projection

Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area

eqaazim

✔

x

x

—

World map using Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection

Orthographic

ortho

x

x

x

—

World map using orthographic projection

Stereographic

stereo

x

✔

x

Great and small circles appear as either straight lines or circular arcs.

World map using stereographic projection

Universal Polar Stereographic (UPS)

ups

x

✔

x

Great and small circles appear as either straight lines or circular arcs.

—

Vertical Perspective Azimuthal

vperspec

x

x

x

—

World map using vertical perspective azimuthal projection

Pseudoazimuthal Projections

Projection Name

Projection ID

Equal-Area

Conformal

Equidistant

Special Features

Example

Wiechel

wiechel

✔

x

x

—

World map using Wiechel projection

Modified Azimuthal Projections

Projection Name

Projection ID

Equal-Area

Conformal

Equidistant

Special Features

Example

Aitoff

aitoff

x

x

x

—

World map using Aitoff projection

Briesemeister

bries

✔

x

x

—

World map using Briesemeister projection

Hammer

hammer

✔

x

x

—

World map using Hammer projection

See Also

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