Part 2/9:
The first step in creating any mapping application is acquiring precise coordinates—latitude and longitude—essentially Earth’s unique addressing system. Each point on the planet corresponds to a specific location, forming what is known as a geodetic system. However, converting our round planet into a two-dimensional map is complex.
Here, the Mercator projection comes into play, facilitating the smoothing of land masses while stretching areas near the poles. Google Maps further innovates by employing a quad grid system, slicing the map into tiles, each possessing a unique ID, reminiscent of a high-tech digital patchwork quilt.