Gall-Peters Projection (1855/1885/1967)
James Gall and Arno Peters
Proposed in 1855 and published in 1885 by James Gall, this map was revived in 1967 by Arno Peters in response to the distortions present in the Mercator projection. This map is mathematically derived from spherical area computation in an attempt to represent more accurately the size of landmasses. The Gall-Peters projection is presented upside-down as a nod to its inclusion in the February 28, 2001, episode of popular television series The West Wing (“Somebody’s Going to Emergency, Somebody’s Going to Jail,” written by Paul Redford and Aaron Sorkin), in which it was derided as nonsensical and unnecessarily politically correct.