mswkt = '''GEOGCS["BD72",DATUM["Reseau_National_Belge_1972",SPHEROID["International 1924",6378388,297],TOWGS84[-106.8686,52.2978,-103.7239,-0.3366,0.457,-1.8422,-1.2747]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0,AUTHORITY["EPSG","8901"]],UNIT["degree",0.0174532925199433,AUTHORITY["EPSG","9122"]],AUTHORITY["EPSG","4313"]]''' m = mapObj('') m.setWKTProjection(mswkt) lyr = layerObj(m) lyr.setWKTProjection(mswkt)