Map Projections in ArcGIS

Gallery of seventy-two map projections currently supported in ArcGIS Pro 3.0, ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 and ArcGIS Desktop 10.8.2.


ArcGIS Pro 3.0, ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 and ArcGIS Desktop 10.8.2 currently support seventy-two unique map projection algorithms and there are another thirty-four variations of these available in Esri's software. All together there are hundred and six different map projections you can select for your map.

Adams Square II

The  Adams square II  shows the world in a square. It is one of the two projections presented by Oscar S. Adams in 1925. The projection is conformal except in the four corners of the square. In Adams’s original design, the projection displays the equator and central meridian as diagonals of the square. A nice property of this projection is that it can be tessellated or mosaicked. This or similar projection was used by Athelstan Spilhaus in 1979, with the help of Robert Hanson and Ervin Schmid, for his world ocean map (right map). Equations for an ellipsoid of revolution were developed at Esri. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 2.5 (ArcGIS 10.8) and later.

The Adams square II projection in normal aspect (left map) and with Spilhaus’ configuration (right map).


Aitoff

The  Aitoff    projection is a modified azimuthal projection. It is a compromise projection and its graticule takes the form of an ellipse. The projection is appropriate for small-scale mapping of the world. It was developed by Russian cartographer David A. Aitoff in 1889. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

Aitoff map projection centered on Greenwich.


Albers

The  Albers    projection is an equal-area conic projection. It uses two standard parallels to reduce some of the distortion that would be found in a projection with one standard parallel. The projection is best suited for land masses extending in an east-to-west orientation at mid-latitudes. Therefore, it is often used for maps of the contiguous United States, Europe, Australia, etc. The projection was introduced by Heinrich C. Albers in 1805. Ellipsoidal equations were developed by Oscar S. Adams in 1927. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

Albers map projection with standard parallels on the northern (left map) and southern (right map) hemisphere.


Aspect-Adaptive Cylindrical

The  aspect-adaptive cylindrical  projection is a compromise map projection that adjusts the parallels to the height-to-width (aspect) ratio of an available canvas. It supports any ratio between 0.3 and 1. The projection was developed by Bernhard Jenny, Bojan Šavrič, and Tom Patterson in 2014. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 2.1 (ArcGIS 10.6) and later.

Aspect-adaptive projection with aspect ratios 0.55 (left map) and 0.7 (right map) centered on Greenwich.

Aspect-adaptive projection with aspect ratios 0.55 (left map) and 0.7 (right map) centered on Greenwich.


Azimuthal Equidistant

The  azimuthal equidistant  projection preserves both distance and direction from the central point. The world is projected onto a flat surface from any point on the globe. Although all aspects are possible (equatorial, polar, and oblique), the one used most commonly is the polar aspect, in which all meridians and parallels are divided equally to maintain the equidistant property. It is believed that the projection was first used by Egyptians for star charts. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The azimuthal equidistant projection centered on the North pole.

The azimuthal equidistant projection centered on the North pole.


Behrmann

The  Behrmann  projection is a case of the  cylindrical equal-area  map projection with standard parallels set at 30° North and South. Due to its equal-area property, it highly compresses polar regions. The projection was introduced by Walter Behrmann in 1910. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Behrmann map projection centered on Greenwich.


Berghaus Star

The  Berghaus star  projection uses the  azimuthal equidistant  projection for the central hemisphere. The other half of the world is split into five triangular pieces, forming a star around the circular center. Usually centered at the North Pole, it can minimize breaks in land masses. The Association of American Geographers (AAG) incorporated a version of the Berghaus star projection into the logo in 1911. The projection was developed by Hermann Berghaus in 1879. Equations for an ellipsoid of revolution were developed at Esri. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 10.0) and later.

The Berghaus star projection with parameters set to match the look of the AAG logo.

The Berghaus star projection with parameters set to match the look of the AAG logo.


Bonne

The  Bonne    is an equal-area pseudoconic map projection. Its graticule takes a form of a heart and it was frequently used to map continents. The projection was invented by Claudius Ptolemy about A.D. 100, but it was named after Rigobert Bonne who extensively used the projection in 1752. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

Bonne equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.

Bonne equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.


Cassini

The  Cassini  is a transverse cylindrical equidistant projection. The projection maintains scale along the central meridian and all lines perpendicular to it. Cassini is analogous to the  Plate Carrée  projection in the same way the  transverse Mercator  is to the  Mercator  projection. The projection was developed by César-François Cassini de Thury in 1745. More accurate equations for an ellipsoid of revolution were developed later by Johann G. von Soldner in 1810. Therefore, the projection is also known as Cassini-Soldner. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

Cassini transverse cylindrical equidistant map projection centered on Greenwich.

Cassini transverse cylindrical equidistant map projection centered on Greenwich.


Compact Miller

The  Compact Miller  projection is a compromise cylindrical map projection. It compresses polar areas in comparison to the  Miller cylindrical  projection. The Compact Miller is a special case of the  aspect-adaptive cylindrical  projection with the height-to-width (aspect) ratio of 0.6. The projection was introduced by Bernhard Jenny, Bojan Šavrič, and Tom Patterson in 2014. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.2 (ArcGIS 10.4) and later.

The Compact Miller map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Compact Miller map projection centered on Greenwich.


Craster Parabolic

The  Craster parabolic  is an equal-area pseudocylindrical projection for world maps. Projection is similar to  sinusoidal  projection except a meridian follows a section of a parabolic curve. Lateral meridians quite excessively bulge outwards, producing considerable shape distortion at and near the map outline. It was presented by John Evelyn Edmund Craster in 1929. It was independently developed by Reinholds V. Putniņš in 1934, therefore it is also known as Putniņš P4 projection. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.1.1) and later.

The Craster parabolic equal-area projection centered on Greenwich.

The Craster parabolic equal-area projection centered on Greenwich.


Cube

The  Cube  is a faceted projection consisting of six square sides, one for each pole and four along the equator centered at 135°and 45° West, 45° and 135° East meridians. It can be folded into a cube. Areas between 45° North and 45° South are projected with the  Plate Carrée  projection. The projection is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 9.0) and later.

The Cube map projection can be folded into a cube.

The Cube map projection can be folded into a cube.


Cylindrical Equal-Area

The  cylindrical equal-area  is a projection presenting the world in a rectangle and maintaining the relative areas on a map. The projection was first described by the Swiss mathematician Johann H. Lambert in 1772. Since then, many variations appeared over the years. The projection is appropriate for large-scale mapping of the areas near the equator and generally not recommended for small-scale (world) maps. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The cylindrical equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.

The cylindrical equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.


Double Stereographic

The  double stereographic  is a planar perspective projection, viewed from the point on the globe opposite the point of tangency. Points are transformed from the spheroid to a Gaussian conformal sphere before being projected to the plane with the  stereographic  projection. Projection is conformal and used for large-scale coordinate systems in New Brunswick and the Netherlands. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0.1) and later.

The double stereographic map projection centered on Greenwich.

The double stereographic map projection centered on Greenwich.


Eckert I

The  Eckert I  is a compromise pseudocylindrical map projection with rectilinear meridians and odd appearance. Projection is simple, but it has no practical use besides making a world map with an unusual shape. Projection was introduced by Max Eckert in 1906. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Eckert I compromise pseudocylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Eckert I compromise projection centered on Greenwich.


Eckert II

The  Eckert II  is an equal-area pseudocylindrical map projection with rectilinear meridians and odd appearance. Projection has no practical use besides making thematic world map with unusual shape. Projection was introduced by Max Eckert in 1906. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Eckert II equal-area projection centered on Greenwich.

The Eckert II equal-area projection centered on Greenwich.


Eckert III

The  Eckert III  is a compromise pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps. The lateral meridians are semicircles which give the projection a nice rounded shape and smooth corners where the lateral meridians meet the pole lines. Projection was introduced by Max Eckert in 1906. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

Eckert III compromise map projection centered on Greenwich.

Eckert III compromise map projection centered on Greenwich.


Eckert IV

The  Eckert IV  is an equal-area pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps. The lateral meridians are semicircles which give the projection a nice rounded shape and smooth corners where the lateral meridians meet the pole lines. Projection is very commonly used for thematic and other world maps requiring accurate areas. It was introduced by Max Eckert in 1906 and it is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

Eckert IV equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.

Eckert IV equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.


Eckert V

The  Eckert V  is a compromise pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps. It is the arithmetic mean of projected coordinates of the  Plate Carrée  and  sinusoidal  projections. Meridians are sinusoidal curves, producing undesirable bulging along the equator on the western and eastern edges of the map. Projection was introduced by Max Eckert in 1906. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

Eckert V compromise map projection centered on Greenwich.

Eckert V compromise map projection centered on Greenwich.


Eckert VI

The  Eckert VI  is an equal-area pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps. Meridians are sinusoidal curves, producing undesirable bulging along the equator on the western and eastern edges of the map. The projection was introduced by Max Eckert in 1906, who preferred this projection over the more popular  Eckert IV . It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

Eckert VI equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.

Eckert VI equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.


Eckert–Greifendorff

The  Eckert-Greifendorff  projection is a modification of the  Lambert azimuthal equal-area  projection. Projection appears to have straight parallels, but they are actually slightly curved. Boundary meridians quite excessively bulge outwards, producing considerable shape distortion near the map outline. Projection was introduced by Max Eckert (at time of its publication known as Max Eckert-Greifendorff) in 1935. Equations for an ellipsoid of revolution were developed at Esri. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.2 (ArcGIS 10.4) and later.

The Eckert-Greifendorff map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Eckert-Greifendorff map projection centered on Greenwich.


Equal Earth

The  Equal Earth  is an equal-area pseudocylindrical projection for world maps. It has a pleasing appearance of the land features and its shape is similar to the  Robinson  projection. The projection was jointly developed by Tom Patterson, Bernhard Jenny and Bojan Šavrič in 2018, and it was quickly adopted by the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). It is available in ArcGIS Pro 2.3 (ArcGIS 10.7) and later. 

The Equal Earth map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Equal Earth map projection centered on Greenwich.


Equidistant Conic

The  equidistant or simple conic  projection preserves distances along all meridians and two standard parallels. Projection often serves as compromise between  Lambert conformal conic  and  Albers  equal-area conic projections. It is best suited for land masses extending in an east-to-west orientation at mid-latitudes when area, directions, and angles do not need to be maintained. The basic projection form was first described by Claudius Ptolemy about A.D. 100 and various improvements were made over time, the biggest by Nicolas de l’Isle in 1745. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The equidistant or simple conic projection with standard parallels on the northern (left map) and southern (right map) hemisphere.

The equidistant or simple conic projection with standard parallels on the northern (left map) and southern (right map) hemisphere.


Equidistant Cylindrical

The  equidistant cylindrical  is also known as equirectangular, simple cylindrical, rectangular, or when the standard parallel is the equator,  Plate Carrée  map projection. A grid of parallels and meridians forms equal rectangles from east to west and from pole to pole. It is one of the simplest cylindrical projections and therefore its usage was more common in the past. The equidistant cylindrical projection was invented by Marinus of Tyre about A.D. 100. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The equidistant cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.

The equidistant cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.


Fuller

The  Fuller  projection, also known as Dymaxion map, converts the globe into a 20-sided figure called an icosahedron. Each side is a geodesic triangle that is then flattened into a two-dimensional triangle. The facets of the icosahedron are unfolded in a specific manner to keep the land masses unbroken. The final version was described by Buckminster Fuller in 1954 after working on the map for several decades. For more information, refer to the Buckminster Fuller Institute website at  bfi.org . The projection is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 9.0) and later.

The Fuller map projection can be folded into an icosahedron.

The Fuller map projection can be folded into an icosahedron.


Gall Stereographic

The  Gall stereographic  projection is a cylindrical map projection with two standard parallels at latitudes 45° north and south. The projection is a special case of the  perspective cylindrical  projection with the perspective ratio of 1 and the standard parallel at 45°. It can be constructed geometrically by projecting the globe onto a secant cylinder from the point on the equator opposite the given central meridian. The projection was introduced by James Gall in 1855. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Gall stereographic projection centered on Greenwich.

The Gall stereographic projection centered on Greenwich.


Gauss–Krüger

The  Gauss–Krüger  projection is also known as ellipsoidal version of the  transverse Mercator  projection. It is similar to the  Mercator , except that the cylinder touches the sphere or ellipsoid along a meridian instead of the equator. The result is a conformal projection that does not maintain true directions. The central meridian is placed in the center of the region of interest. This centering minimizes distortion of all properties in that region. This projection is best suited for north–south areas. The spherical version of the projection was presented by Johann H. Lambert in 1772. First formulas with ellipsoidal correction were developed by Carl F. Gauss in 1822. The Gauss–Krüger name refers to the ellipsoidal form reevaluated by Louis Krüger in 1912.  Gauss–Krüger coordinate systems  and the  Universal Transverse Mercator  (UTM) coordinate systems are based on this projection while the  State Plane coordinate systems  use it only for all north–south zones. Various countries use this projection for their topographic maps and large-scale coordinate systems. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Gauss–Krüger map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Gauss–Krüger map projection centered on Greenwich.


Geostationary satellite

 This projection  is used by geostationary satellites that are returning data located by satellite’s scanning angles. Two variants exist based on the main scanning direction of the viewing instrument on-board. It is used by Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R (GOES-R) series and Meteosat series of geostationary meteorological satellites. Projection is available in ArcGIS Pro 2.1 (ArcGIS 10.6) and later.

Geostationary satellite projection centered on 65° West.

Geostationary satellite projection centered on 65° West.


Gnomonic

 This azimuthal  projection uses the center of the earth as its perspective point. It projects great circles as straight lines, regardless of the aspect. The projection is not conformal nor is it equal-area. This is a useful projection for navigation because great circles highlight routes with the shortest distance. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.1.1) and later.

The gnomonic azimuthal map projection centered on the North pole.

The gnomonic azimuthal map projection centered on the North pole.


Goode Homolosine

The  Goode Homolosine  is an equal-area pseudocylindrical projection for world maps, most commonly used in interrupted form. It is a combination of  Mollweide  (or homolographic) and  sinusoidal  projections, hence the name homolosine. The  Mollweide  projection is used north and south of the 40°44'12'' parallels. The  sinusoidal  projection is used between those two latitude values for the equatorial part of the world. Projection shows discontinuity in the graticule where both projections join. Projection was introduced by J. Paul Goode in 1923. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 9.2) and later.

The Goode Homolosine map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Goode Homolosine map projection centered on Greenwich.


Hammer

The  Hammer  projection is a modification of the  Lambert azimuthal equal-area  projection. It is equal-area and its graticule takes a form of an ellipse. The projection is also known as the Hammer–Aitoff projection. The Hammer projection is appropriate for small-scale mapping. It was developed by Ernst von Hammer in 1892 after being inspired by the Russian cartographer, David A. Aitoff. Equations for an ellipsoid were developed at Esri. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.1.1) and later.

The Hammer equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Hammer equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.


Hotine Oblique Mercator

The  Hotine  projection, also known as oblique cylindrical orthomorphic or  rectified skew orthomorphic , is one version of the oblique  Mercator  projection derivations. It is used for conformal mapping of areas that are obliquely oriented and do not follow a north–south or east–west trend. Projection’s formulas were presented by Martin Hotine in 1946. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Hotine oblique Mercator projection.

The Hotine oblique Mercator projection.


IGAC Plano Cartesiano

 Plano Cartesiano  by the Geographical Institute Agustín Codazzi is a projection used for urban maps in Colombia. It is appropriate for maps at very large scales. Projection parameter height can be used to locally minimize ground-to-grid differences. Projection is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 10.1.0) and later.

IGAC Plano Cartesiano projection centered on Bogota.

IGAC Plano Cartesiano projection centered on Bogota.


Krovak

The  Krovak  projection, also known as S-JTSK, is an oblique case of the  Lambert conformal conic  projection. It is based on one standard parallel. An azimuth parameter tilts the apex of the cone from the North Pole. A standard parallel, called a pseudo standard parallel, defines the shape of the cone. A scale factor is applied to the parallel to create a secant case. Projection is used in Czechia and Slovakia and was designed by Josef Krovak in 1922. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.1.0) and later.

The Krovak oblique conic projection.

The Krovak oblique conic projection.


Laborde Oblique Mercator

The  Laborde  projection is one version of the oblique  Mercator  projection derivations. It is used for conformal mapping of areas that are obliquely oriented and do not follow a north–south or east–west trend. Projection’s formulas were presented by Jean Laborde in 1926. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 10.0) and later.

The Laborde oblique Mercator projection.

The Laborde oblique Mercator projection.


Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area

The  Lambert azimuthal equal-area  projection maintains land features at their true relative sizes while simultaneously maintaining a true sense of direction from the center. The world is projected onto a flat surface from any point on the globe. Although all aspects are possible (equatorial, polar, and oblique), the one used most commonly is the polar aspect. Projection is best suited for individual land masses that are symmetrically proportioned, either round or square. It was developed by Johann H. Lambert in 1772 and it is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the South pole.

The Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the South pole.


Lambert Conformal Conic

 Lambert conformal conic  map projection is normally based on two standard parallels, but it can also be defined with a single standard parallel and a scale factor. It is best suited for conformal mapping of land masses extending in an east-to-west orientation at mid-latitudes. Being hardly used before the First World War, the projection is often used for official topographic mapping around the world. The  State Plane coordinate systems  use it only for all zones that have a greater east–west extent. Both spherical and ellipsoidal forms of the projection were developed by Johann H. Lambert in 1772. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Lambert conformal conic projection with standard parallels on the northern (left map) and southern (right map) hemisphere.

The Lambert conformal conic projection with standard parallels on the northern (left map) and southern (right map) hemisphere.


Local

The  local  projection is a specialized map projection that does not take into account the curvature of the earth. The coordinates of the center of the area of interest define the origin of the local coordinate system. The plane is tangent to the spheroid at that point, and the differences in z-values are negligible between corresponding points on the spheroid and the plane. This map projection is the same as the  orthographic  projection, but supported on ellipsoids and spheres, while the  orthographic  projection is supported on spheres only. Projection is designed for very large-scale mapping applications using local coordinate systems. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 9.0) and later.

The local map projection centered on Europe.

The local map projection centered on Europe.


Loximuthal

The  loximuthal  is a compromise pseudocylindrical projection. Loxodromes, or rhumb lines, are shown as straight lines with the correct azimuth and scale from the intersection of the central meridian and the central parallel. The projection was first presented by Karl Siemon in 1935. Waldo R. Tobler independently introduced the projection in 1966 and named it “loximuthal.” It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The loximuthal map projection centered on Greenwich.

The loximuthal map projection centered on Greenwich.


McBryde-Thomas Flat-Polar Quartic

 McBryde-Thomas flat-polar quartic  is an equal-area pseudocylindrical projection. It is the number 4 projection of the McBryde-Thomas series and received the most attention. F. Webster McBryde and Paul D. Thomas introduced it in 1949 for world statistical maps. The projection is based on the  quartic authalic  projection. Its boundary meridians quite excessively bulge outwards, producing considerable shape distortion near the map outline. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The McBryde-Thomas flat-polar quartic projection centered on Greenwich.

The McBryde-Thomas flat-polar quartic projection centered on Greenwich.


Mercator

The  Mercator  projection is a conformal cylindrical map projection. It was originally created to display accurate compass bearings for sea travel. An additional feature of this projection is that all local shapes are accurate and correctly defined at infinitesimal scale. It was presented by Gerardus Mercator in 1569. The  Web Mercator coordinate system , the de facto standard for web maps and online services, uses a sphere-based variant of the projection. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Mercator cylindrical map projection.

The Mercator cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.


Miller Cylindrical

The  Miller cylindrical  projection is a compromise cylindrical map projection. The projection is a modification of the  Mercator  projection thus they are almost identical near the equator. Although Miller projection does not project poles to infinity, distortion is still severe at the poles. Projection was developed by Osborn M. Miller in 1942. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Miller cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Miller cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.


Mollweide

The  Mollweide  projection is an equal-area pseudocylindrical map projection displaying the world in a form of an ellipse with axes in a 2:1 ratio. It is also known as Babinet, elliptical, homolographic, or homalographic projection. Projection is appropriate for thematic and other world maps requiring accurate areas. It was first introduced by Karl B. Mollweide in 1805 and it is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later. 

The Mollweide map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Mollweide map projection centered on Greenwich.


Natural Earth

The  Natural Earth  projection is a compromise pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps. Projection has rounded corners where lateral meridians meet the pole lines, which suggest that the Earth has a rounded shape. It was specifically designed for displaying physical data by Tom Patterson in 2007. Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny published the math for the projection in 2011. Projection is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.2 (ArcGIS 10.4) and later.

The Natural Earth map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Natural Earth map projection centered on Greenwich.


Natural Earth II

The  Natural Earth II  projection is a compromise pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps. It is distinctive from the  Natural Earth  projection by the meridians, which bend steeply toward a short pole line giving the map a unique appearance among compromise small-scale projections. It was designed by Tom Patterson. Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny published the math for the projection in 2015. Projection is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.2 (ArcGIS 10.4) and later.

The Natural Earth II map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Natural Earth II map projection centered on Greenwich.


New Zealand Map Grid

The  New Zealand map grid  is a conformal map projection specifically designed for large-scale mapping of New Zealand. Projection method is using Cauchy-Riemann equation of complex arithmetic and is centered at 173° East and 41° South. It was designed by W. I. Reilly in 1973 and it is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.1.0) and later.

The New Zealand map grid projection.

The New Zealand map grid projection.


Ney Modified Conic

 Ney  is a modified  Lambert conformal conic  projection. The projection slightly expands the parallels to create complete concentric circles centered at the pole, resulting in azimuthal polar map view. It is an appropriate projection to map areas near the pole. With two standard parallels, one defines which hemisphere (north or south) is projected in the center. Mathematics for the projection was introduced by C. H. Ney in 1949. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 10.0) and later.

Ney modified conic projection centered on the North pole.

Ney modified conic projection centered on the North pole.


Orthographic

The  orthographic  projection is an azimuthal perspective projection, projecting Earth’s surface from an infinite distance to a plane. It gives the illusion of a three-dimensional globe; therefore, the projection is often used as inset map or for pictorial views of the Earth from space. This map projection is the same as the  local  projection, but only supports spheres. It is believed that the projection was developed by Egyptians and Greeks. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.1.1) and later.

The orthographic map projection centered on Caribbean.

The orthographic map projection centered on Caribbean.


Patterson

The  Patterson  projection is a compromise cylindrical map projection. It exaggerates high-latitude areas less than the  Miller  and  Compact Miller  projections. Projection maps the world in a rectangle with a height-to-width ratio of approximately 0.57. It was designed by Tom Patterson in 2014. Later that year, he published the math for the projection together with Bojan Šavrič and Bernhard Jenny. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.2 (ArcGIS 10.4) and later.

The Patterson cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Patterson cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.


Peirce Quincuncial

The  Peirce quincuncial  map projection shows the world in a square. The projection is conformal except in the middle of the four sides of the square. It was developed by Charles S. Peirce in 1879. Equations for an ellipsoid of revolution were developed at Esri. In Peirce’s original design, the projection is centered at the North Pole which displays the equator as a square rotated relative to the projection edge. A nice property of this projection is that it can be tessellated or mosaicked. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 2.3 (ArcGIS 10.7) and later.

The Peirce quincuncial map projection shown in square (left map) and diamond (right map) orientation.

The Peirce quincuncial map projection shown in square (left map) and diamond (right map) orientation.


Perspective Cylindrical

The  perspective cylindrical  projection is a cylindrical map projection, which can be constructed geometrically by projecting the globe onto a tangent (or secant) cylinder from the point on the equatorial plane opposite a given meridian. A special case of the projection is the central cylindrical or simple cylindrical projection, projecting the globe from its center. The projection was used in oblique aspect for political and physical maps of the Soviet Union. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 2.6 (ArcGIS 10.8.1) and later.

The central cylindrical, a special case of the perspective cylindrical projection.


Plate Carrée

The  Plate Carrée  map projection is  equidistant cylindrical  projection with the standard parallel located at the equator. A grid of parallels and meridians forms perfect squares from east to west and from pole to pole. It is one of the simplest and oldest map projections and therefore its usage was more common in the past. The radius is used as a conversion factor between angular and linear units. Another usage of this projection is to display spatial data stored in a geographic coordinate system, known as the pseudo-Plate Carrée projection. The projection was invented by Marinus of Tyre about A.D. 100. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Plate Carrée map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Plate Carrée map projection centered on Greenwich.


Polyconic

The  polyconic  projection is also known as American polyconic or ordinary polyconic projection. The name translates into "many cones" and it is created by lining up an infinite number of cones along the central meridian. This affects the shape of the meridians. Unlike other conic projections, the meridians are curved rather than straight. Projection is neither conformal nor equal-area and it is appropriate for regions of predominant north-south extent. Projection was developed by Ferdinand R. Hassler in 1820. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The polyconic map projection centered on Greenwich.

The polyconic map projection centered on Greenwich.


Quartic Authalic

The  quartic authalic  is a pseudocylindrical equal-area projection, created by modifying the  Lambert azimuthal equal-area  projection. Boundary meridians quite excessively bulge outwards, producing considerable shape distortion near the map outline. The projection was independently presented by Karl Siemon in 1937 and Oscar S. Adams in 1945. Equations for an ellipsoid were developed at Esri. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The quartic authalic map projection centered on Greenwich.

The quartic authalic map projection centered on Greenwich.


Rectified Skew Orthomorphic

The  rectified skew orthomorphic , also known as the  Hotine  projection, is one version of the oblique  Mercator  projection derivations. It is used for conformal mapping of areas that are obliquely oriented and do not follow a north–south or east–west trend. The projection’s formulas were presented by Martin Hotine in 1946. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 9.0) and later.

The rectified skew orthomorphic map projection.

The rectified skew orthomorphic map projection.


Robinson

The  Robinson  projection is perhaps the most used compromise pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps. National Geographic used the Robinson projection for their world maps for about a decade until 1998. Projection was designed by Arthur H. Robinson in 1963 at the request of the Rand McNally Company using graphic design rather than mathematical equation development. It was briefly called the orthophanic (“right appearing”) projection after its introduction. Projection is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Robinson map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Robinson map projection centered on Greenwich.


Sinusoidal

The  sinusoidal  projection is a pseudocylindrical equal-area projection displaying all parallels and the central meridian at true scale. Boundary meridians quite excessively bulge outwards, producing considerable shape distortion near the map outline. Alternative formats reduce the distortion along outer meridians by interrupting the continuity of the projection over the oceans and by centering the continents around their own central meridians, or vice versa. Projection is also known as Sanson–Flamsteed and Mercator–Sanson projection after the cartographers who used it. The projection was developed in the 16th century. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The sinusoidal map projection centered on Greenwich.

The sinusoidal map projection centered on Greenwich.


Stereographic

The  stereographic  is a planar perspective projection, viewed from the point on the globe opposite the point of tangency. It projects points on a spheroid directly to the plane and it is the only azimuthal conformal projection. The projection is more commonly used in polar aspects for topographic maps of polar regions. Most well-known are  Universal Polar Stereographic  (UPS) maps showing areas north of 84°N and south of 80°S that aren't included in the  Universal Transverse Mercator  (UTM) coordinate systems. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The stereographic map projection centered on the South pole.

The stereographic map projection centered on the South pole.


Times

The  Times  projection is a compromise pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps and a modified  Gall stereographic  projection with curved meridians. Projection was developed by John Moir in 1965 for Bartholomew Ltd., a British mapmaking company. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.1.1) and later.

The Times projection centered on Greenwich.

The Times projection centered on Greenwich.


Tobler Cylindrical I

The  Tobler cylindrical I  projection is a compromise cylindrical map projection. It was developed and introduced by Waldo Tobler in 1997 as his first simpler alternative to  Miller cylindrical  projection. As it is the case with  Miller , distortion is severe at the poles. Projection is a bit smaller than  Miller  projection, but they are almost identical between 45° North and South. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 2.5 (ArcGIS 10.8) and later.

The Tobler cylindrical I projection centered on Greenwich.


Tobler Cylindrical II

The  Tobler cylindrical II  projection is a compromise cylindrical map projection. It was developed and introduced by Waldo Tobler in 1997 as his second simpler alternative to  Miller cylindrical  projection. As it is the case with  Miller , distortion is severe at the poles. Projection is taller than  Miller  projection, but they are almost identical between 45° North and South. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 2.5 (ArcGIS 10.8) and later.

The Tobler cylindrical II projection centered on Greenwich.


Transverse Cylindrical Equal-Area

The  transverse cylindrical equal-area  is a transverse aspect of the  cylindrical equal-area  projection. Projection is appropriate for maps with predominantly north to south extent along a specified meridian. It was presented by Johann H. Lambert in 1772. Equations for an ellipsoid of revolution were developed by John P. Snyder in 1985. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.3 (ArcGIS 10.4.1) and later.

The transverse cylindrical equal-area projection centered on Greenwich.

The transverse cylindrical equal-area projection centered on Greenwich.


Transverse Mercator

The  transverse Mercator  projection is also known as the  Gauss–Krüger  projection. It is similar to the  Mercator , except that the cylinder touches the sphere or ellipsoid along a meridian instead of the equator. The result is a conformal projection that does not maintain true directions. The central meridian is placed in the center of the region of interest. This centering minimizes distortion of all properties in that region. This projection is best suited for north–south areas. The  Universal Transverse Mercator  (UTM) coordinate systems and  Gauss–Krüger coordinate systems  are based on the  transverse Mercator  projection while the  State Plane coordinate systems  use it for all north–south zones. Various countries use this projection for their topographic maps and large-scale coordinate systems. The spherical version of the projection was presented by Johann H. Lambert in 1772. First formulas with ellipsoidal correction were developed by Carl F. Gauss in 1822. The  Gauss–Krüger  name refers to the ellipsoidal form reevaluated by Louis Krüger in 1912. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The transverse Mercator projection centered on Greenwich.

The transverse Mercator projection centered on Greenwich.


Two-Point Equidistant

The  two-point equidistant  projection is a modified azimuthal projection that preserves distances from two selected points on the map. If the two points are the same, the resulting projection is the  azimuthal equidistant . Projection was first presented by Hans Maurer in 1919. Two year later, Charles F Close independently presented it in 1921. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The two-point equidistant projection centered on Redlands, US and Ljubljana, SI.

The two-point equidistant projection centered on Redlands, US and Ljubljana, SI.


Van der Grinten I

The  Van der Grinten I  projection is polyconic projection of the world in a circle. Projection gives similar look of continents as they are on the  Mercator  projection except that it portrays the world with a curved graticule. Both meridians and parallels are projected as circular arcs. National Geographic used the projection for their world maps between 1922 and 1988. Projection was invented by Alphons J. van der Grinten in 1898. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Van der Grinten I map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Van der Grinten I map projection centered on Greenwich.


Vertical Near-Side Perspective

The  vertical near-side perspective  is an azimuthal projection projecting Earth’s surface from a finite distance to a plane, unlike the  orthographic  projection which projects from an infinite distance. This map projection gives the overall effect of the view from a satellite. It was known by the Egyptians and Greeks and it is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.1.1) and later.

The vertical near-side perspective projection centered on Greenwich and Equator.

The vertical near-side perspective projection centered on Greenwich and Equator.


Wagner IV

The  Wagner IV  is an equal-area pseudocylindrical projection for world maps. Its meridians follow a portion of ellipses compared to the  Eckert IV  projection whose meridians are semiellipses. Projection was introduced by Karl Heinrich (Karlheinz) Wagner in 1932. It was independently developed by Reinholds V. Putniņš in 1934, therefore it is also known as Putniņš P’2 projection. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.2 (ArcGIS 10.4) and later.

The Wagner IV map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Wagner IV map projection centered on Greenwich.


Wagner V

The  Wagner V  projection is a compromise pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps. Projection was introduced by Karl Heinrich (Karlheinz) Wagner in 1949. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.2 (ArcGIS 10.4) and later.

The Wagner V map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Wagner V map projection centered on Greenwich.


Wagner VII

The  Wagner VII  or Hammer-Wagner projection is a modification of the  Lambert azimuthal equal-area  projection. All parallels are convex toward the equator which gives projection a unique appearance and relatively low distortion characteristic compare to some equal-area pseudocylindrical projections. Projection was introduced by Karl Heinrich (Karlheinz) Wagner in 1941. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.2 (ArcGIS 10.4) and later.

The Wagner VII map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Wagner VII map projection centered on Greenwich.


Winkel I

The  Winkel I  is a compromise pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps. It is an arithmetic mean of projected coordinates of  sinusoidal  and  equidistant cylindrical  projections and a general case of the  Eckert V  projection. Meridians are sinusoidal curves, producing undesirable bulging along the equator on the west and east edges of the map. Projection was introduced by Oswald Winkel in 1914. In his original design, Winkel used a standard parallel at 50°28ʹ. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Winkel I map projection.

The Winkel I map projection centered on Greenwich.


Winkel II

The  Winkel II  is a compromise pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps. It is an arithmetic mean of the projected coordinates of  Mollweide  and  equidistant cylindrical  projections. Meridians are ellipsoidal curves, producing a nice rounded shape of the map. Projection was introduced by Oswald Winkel in 1918. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.0) and later.

The Winkel II map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Winkel II map projection centered on Greenwich.


Winkel Tripel

The  Winkel Tripel  is a compromise modified azimuthal projection for world maps. It is an arithmetic mean of projected coordinates of  Aitoff  and  equidistant cylindrical  projections. Projection is known to have one of the lowest mean scale and area distortion among compromise projections for small-scale mapping. It is used by the National Geographic Society since 1998 for general world maps. Projection was introduced by Oswald Winkel in 1921. In his original design, Winkel used a standard parallel at 50°28ʹ. Inverse equations were developed at Esri. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 (ArcGIS 8.1.1) and later.

The Winkel Tripel map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Winkel Tripel map projection centered on Greenwich.


Additional information about map projections and coordinate systems in ArcGIS is available in  ArcGIS Desktop  or  ArcGIS Pro  online documentation.

The Adams square II projection in normal aspect (left map) and with Spilhaus’ configuration (right map).

Aitoff map projection centered on Greenwich.

Albers map projection with standard parallels on the northern (left map) and southern (right map) hemisphere.

Aspect-adaptive projection with aspect ratios 0.55 (left map) and 0.7 (right map) centered on Greenwich.

The azimuthal equidistant projection centered on the North pole.

The Behrmann map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Berghaus star projection with parameters set to match the look of the AAG logo.

Bonne equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.

Cassini transverse cylindrical equidistant map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Compact Miller map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Craster parabolic equal-area projection centered on Greenwich.

The Cube map projection can be folded into a cube.

The cylindrical equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.

The double stereographic map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Eckert I compromise projection centered on Greenwich.

The Eckert II equal-area projection centered on Greenwich.

Eckert III compromise map projection centered on Greenwich.

Eckert IV equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.

Eckert V compromise map projection centered on Greenwich.

Eckert VI equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Eckert-Greifendorff map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Equal Earth map projection centered on Greenwich.

The equidistant or simple conic projection with standard parallels on the northern (left map) and southern (right map) hemisphere.

The equidistant cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Fuller map projection can be folded into an icosahedron.

The Gall stereographic projection centered on Greenwich.

The Gauss–Krüger map projection centered on Greenwich.

Geostationary satellite projection centered on 65° West.

The gnomonic azimuthal map projection centered on the North pole.

The Goode Homolosine map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Hammer equal-area map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Hotine oblique Mercator projection.

IGAC Plano Cartesiano projection centered on Bogota.

The Krovak oblique conic projection.

The Laborde oblique Mercator projection.

The Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the South pole.

The Lambert conformal conic projection with standard parallels on the northern (left map) and southern (right map) hemisphere.

The local map projection centered on Europe.

The loximuthal map projection centered on Greenwich.

The McBryde-Thomas flat-polar quartic projection centered on Greenwich.

The Mercator cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Miller cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Mollweide map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Natural Earth map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Natural Earth II map projection centered on Greenwich.

The New Zealand map grid projection.

Ney modified conic projection centered on the North pole.

The orthographic map projection centered on Caribbean.

The Patterson cylindrical map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Peirce quincuncial map projection shown in square (left map) and diamond (right map) orientation.

The central cylindrical, a special case of the perspective cylindrical projection.

The Plate Carrée map projection centered on Greenwich.

The polyconic map projection centered on Greenwich.

The quartic authalic map projection centered on Greenwich.

The rectified skew orthomorphic map projection.

The Robinson map projection centered on Greenwich.

The sinusoidal map projection centered on Greenwich.

The stereographic map projection centered on the South pole.

The Times projection centered on Greenwich.

The Tobler cylindrical I projection centered on Greenwich.

The Tobler cylindrical II projection centered on Greenwich.

The transverse cylindrical equal-area projection centered on Greenwich.

The transverse Mercator projection centered on Greenwich.

The two-point equidistant projection centered on Redlands, US and Ljubljana, SI.

The Van der Grinten I map projection centered on Greenwich.

The vertical near-side perspective projection centered on Greenwich and Equator.

The Wagner IV map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Wagner V map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Wagner VII map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Winkel I map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Winkel II map projection centered on Greenwich.

The Winkel Tripel map projection centered on Greenwich.