Our maps are all WRONG: The first graphic that shows the world as it really is
Phoebe Weston, October 19, 2018
Correct:
Mercator projection:
Phoebe Weston, October 19, 2018
Quote:Take a look at a world map and you’re likely to think that North America and Russia are both larger than Africa.
But in reality Africa is three times bigger than North America and significantly larger than Russia too.
This strange distortion has been explored by a climate data scientist at the Met Office who has created a two dimensional representation of what the world really looks like.
His incredible map that shows that many countries - including Russia, Canada and Greenland - are not nearly as big as we think.
The world map distortion is the result of the Mercator projection, the map most commonly seen hanging in classrooms and in text books, which was created in 1596 to help sailors navigate the world.
Correct:
Mercator projection: