Kavrayskiy VII projection



The Kavrayskiy VII projection is a map projection invented by Soviet cartographer Vladimir V. Kavrayskiy in 1939 for use as a general-purpose pseudocylindrical projection. Like the Robinson projection, it is a compromise intended to produce good-quality maps with low distortion overall. It scores well in that respect compared to other popular projections, such as the Winkel tripel, despite straight, evenly spaced parallels and a simple formulation. Regardless, it has not been widely used outside the former Soviet Union.

The projection is defined as

$$\begin{align} x &= \frac{3 \lambda}{2} \sqrt{\frac{1}{3} - \left(\frac{\varphi}{\pi}\right)^2} \\ y &= \varphi \end{align}$$

where $$\lambda$$ is the longitude, and $$\varphi$$ is the latitude in radians.