Mercator wasn’t created in order to increase importance of the northern hemisphere, but to allow for directional rhumb lines to be drawn for shipping. For its intended purpose of navigation, it does an excellent job.
It may not be the intended purpose but I certainly does change how the world is seen by everyone using it to warp the mind’s eye to how the world actually physically is.
Edit: Does it do an excellent job for navigational purposes if you are shipping from Japan to Brazil or it it only excellent for shipping from the northern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere?
Perhaps if they are unaware that a 3D image of a geoid projected onto a 2D plane can cause issues, however every projection will have its own failings whether area, shape or directional (angular). Familiarity also comes into play, and i believe that is more at the root of the issue you bring up.
The Mercator projection was designed for use in marine navigation because of its unique property of representing any course of constant bearing as a straight segment. Such a course, known as a rhumb (alternately called a rhumb line or loxodrome) is preferred in marine navigation because ships can sail in a constant compass direction.
Mercator wasn’t created in order to increase importance of the northern hemisphere, but to allow for directional rhumb lines to be drawn for shipping. For its intended purpose of navigation, it does an excellent job.
It may not be the intended purpose but I certainly does change how the world is seen by everyone using it to warp the mind’s eye to how the world actually physically is.
Edit: Does it do an excellent job for navigational purposes if you are shipping from Japan to Brazil or it it only excellent for shipping from the northern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere?
Perhaps if they are unaware that a 3D image of a geoid projected onto a 2D plane can cause issues, however every projection will have its own failings whether area, shape or directional (angular). Familiarity also comes into play, and i believe that is more at the root of the issue you bring up.
As for your navigational questions, this Reddit thread may be helpful https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4s4869/eli5_how_mercator_projections_are_better_for/
Do you seriously think that the geometrical properties of the projection change below the equator? You need to learn yourself some geometry.
It works for any shipping lines
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercator_projection