Lab 2 - Coordinate Systems

Area of interest: State of Idaho. I chose this state because of its unique shape. The coordinate system I selected to use for my final map product is a custom coordinate system found under the State Systems folder called NAD 1983 Idaho TM (Meters). The reason I selected this coordinate system is because the state of Idaho has three State Plane Zones and falls under two UTM Zones, which make neither a State Plane Coordinate System nor the UTM Coordinate System good options for displaying a statewide map projection. This is why a custom coordinate system already exists for Idaho. This custom coordinate system is part of the cylindrical family projection (Transverse Mercator) which means it aims to preserve shape, and is great for small areas, especially those areas that are north-south orientation—making it very appropriate to depict Idaho in a general reference map, and for the task at hand.