English subtitles for clip: File:Die Weltkarte von Mercator.webm

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How can the globe be properly
represented on a flat world map?

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This was an unsolved problem
in the 16th century,

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that the cartographer Gerardus
Mercator decided to work on.

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At this time, maps and globes

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became popular reference works
among the wealthy middle class.

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The great demand for them brought 
Gerardus Mercator prestige and wealth.

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The Flemish man lived
in Duisburg since 1552,

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and devoted himself to making maps
and globes as precise as possible.

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Then Gerardus Mercator became
famous as the result of a brilliant idea:

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Countless calculations
and tests were needed

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before he gets the basic idea of
​​his projection could actually implement.

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He put paper, in the form
of a cylinder, around the globe.

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The cylinder touches
the earth at the equator.

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From an imaginary projection point
in the centre of the earth,

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all points are plotted
from the ball to the cylinder.

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After unrolling it, an accurate map 
of the surface of the earth is made,

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because longitudes and latitudes
are placed at right angles to each other.

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Proportions however are distorted.

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Greenland seems almost as big as Africa.

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In 1569, Gerardus Mercator

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presented his world map 
to the public for the first time.

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The 1.34 m by 2.12 m map
is entitled "for maritime use".

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It was later divided into 20 single sheets
and published in a book,

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eagerly awaited by the sea captains
across the world.