It is used in order to try to translate an image of the earth from a 3D sphere as seen on a globe, to a rectangular map.
As discussed in other pages it is impossible to translate a globes visual cartography onto a 2D rectangle such as a map without directional and spatial distortion making maps less accurate the some world globes.
Complicated mathematical equations are used and integrated into software which aims to minimise the distortion effects created during map production.
There are many different mathematical techniques used to create maps each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
This page aims to help you decide which type of map you would like to buy, or if you would like to buy a globe.
The Winkel III projection was given its name by Oswald Winkel who proposed the projection in 1921.
This map projection technique measures 9th of 100 most accurate map projections. It produces only little distortion of country size and produces small distance errors between countries.
In 1998 Winkel III projection maps replaced the robinson projection as the standard projection for world maps made the National Geographic. Many of which are features on our site. www.JustGlobes.co.uk/world_maps.html.
Winkel III is unusual in that it is created by averaging the X (horizontal) and Y (vertical) coordinates from the two other seldom-used projections: the Equirectangular and the Aitoff. this creates slightly curved lines of projection which makes a better model of spherical cartography than if the lines were parallel as it the Mercator projection.
As mentioned before there will always be distortion on a map that would never be present on a world globe. Each projection technique has its downsides.
The major downside of the Winkel III projection is that it is not an equivalent map projection thus it suffers from compression. This means that some parts of the world, especially the polar regions toward the east and west of a map are slightly distorted.
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