from mapscript import mapObj,layerObj wkt = '''GEOGCS["GCS_Walbeck",DATUM["Walbeck",SPHEROID["Walbeck",6376896,302.78]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0],UNIT["Degree",0.017453292519943295],AUTHORITY["EPSG","37007"]]''' m = mapObj('') m.setWKTProjection(wkt) lyr = layerObj(m) lyr.setWKTProjection(wkt)