The True Size of Africa
Discussion
As we don't have a geography forum and I just thought this was interesting 
http://kai.sub.blue/en/africa.html
http://kai.sub.blue/en/africa.html
www.thetruesize.com
Type in the name to select and move counties around like that. The Mercator projection heavily distorts, especially near the poles. Greenland for example looks absolutely massive. Select and drag It further south and you can see it’s really about the same size as Algeria.
Type in the name to select and move counties around like that. The Mercator projection heavily distorts, especially near the poles. Greenland for example looks absolutely massive. Select and drag It further south and you can see it’s really about the same size as Algeria.
Edited by Beati Dogu on Sunday 16th May 11:19
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hstewie said:
hstewie said: As we don't have a geography forum and I just thought this was interesting
http://kai.sub.blue/en/africa.html
yes the maps we use make the top half countries much bigger, and Africa is massive but in maps made to look smaller.http://kai.sub.blue/en/africa.html
85Carrera said:
The Peter’s Projection map was produced in, I think, the 1980s to reflect the proportionate size of countries more accurately than the Mercator projection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVX-PrBRtTYSchmed said:
This. I mean Jesus Christ.
But no, it is actually all a big conspiracy to make the poles look far more important.
When the OP discovers an Atlas it’ll be a revelation to him. I truly despair of modern education...
Is there really any need for that?But no, it is actually all a big conspiracy to make the poles look far more important.
When the OP discovers an Atlas it’ll be a revelation to him. I truly despair of modern education...
I don't see anyone mentioning conspiracies and you know nothing of my education or anyone else's on this thread.
I simply thought it was an interesting article worth sharing (and presumably the person who wrote the article thought the same).
bhstewie said:
hstewie said: Is there really any need for that?
I don't see anyone mentioning conspiracies and you know nothing of my education or anyone else's on this thread.
I simply thought it was an interesting article worth sharing (and presumably the person who wrote the article thought the same).
You are right mate. I’d say about 80% of people have a view of the world that is distorted by Mercator projection. The fact that Perth to Sydney is significantly further than London to Moscow for instance, yet on maps actually looks around half the distance. People have little grasp for the scale of Africa or Australia. I don't see anyone mentioning conspiracies and you know nothing of my education or anyone else's on this thread.
I simply thought it was an interesting article worth sharing (and presumably the person who wrote the article thought the same).
I was once a trained cartographer so was mostly aware that all flat maps were misrepresentations based usually on a geopolitical manipulation. Most people have no idea about distance and headings either. If you showed most people and asked them to plot a flight from one side of the world to the other they’d draw a straight line and forget that the world was round and that you could fly over the top...
Maybe every geography classroom should have a globe.
You can buy those cool globes with a pen and it does quizzes etc for about £60 too.
Job jobbed.
Plenty of people are dumb about geography because they don’t care about geography, not because of map projections.
I personally find the unwrapped globe projection the best as it somewhat conveys the spatial issues of flattening out a sphere into a 2D surface... despite it not being so intuitive... though the intuitive nature of the OPs projection is that it’s actually not intuitive at all and really misleading.
That said, if you wrap such a projection around a sphere it’s spot on... just most people misunderstand this point.
You can buy those cool globes with a pen and it does quizzes etc for about £60 too.
Job jobbed.
Plenty of people are dumb about geography because they don’t care about geography, not because of map projections.
I personally find the unwrapped globe projection the best as it somewhat conveys the spatial issues of flattening out a sphere into a 2D surface... despite it not being so intuitive... though the intuitive nature of the OPs projection is that it’s actually not intuitive at all and really misleading.
That said, if you wrap such a projection around a sphere it’s spot on... just most people misunderstand this point.
bhstewie said:
hstewie said: Is there really any need for that?
I don't see anyone mentioning conspiracies and you know nothing of my education or anyone else's on this thread.
I simply thought it was an interesting article worth sharing (and presumably the person who wrote the article thought the same).
I definitely found it interesting. i was aware (vaguely) of mercator distortions but I think the website really does demonstrate it effectively.I don't see anyone mentioning conspiracies and you know nothing of my education or anyone else's on this thread.
I simply thought it was an interesting article worth sharing (and presumably the person who wrote the article thought the same).
I actually had a globe as a child, however I dont think even that really showed the difference between the US and Africa.
), nevermind studied one closely or compared the scale of countries.Gassing Station | Science! | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff