Many documentaries seem to agree that the world map we currently use is far from accurate, and it’s misrepresenting the size (and even shape) of many continents, islands and countries. It’s using an outdated projection technique called ” Mercator projection ” that was mainly used for sailing back in the 16th century. Why aren’t we using a map that’s more up to date? Can maps like “thetruesize” website be relied upon?
In: 2
All flat maps of earth will have distortion, Different projection have different problem but all have some. The only way to have no distorsion is a globe.
Mercator projection do preserve local shape and angles but is quite bad with area
Projection with the correct are like the on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-area_map are still disorsion, the have just chagne what is distored
You can for example use https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gall%E2%80%93Peters_projection#/media/File:Gall%E2%80%93Peters_projection_SW.jpg that have the correct area. But there is still a problem.
Look at Africa, a line straight noeth from the most southern point is 7230km long. A line from most eastern tips to the same latitude on the western side is 7340km. So practical the same distance.
But on the map above it was 438 pixels north to south but only 245 east to west. So what should be 1:1 is 1.75:1
So the map distor shape but the area is correct, all flat maps do. If you like no distosion you need a sphere so use for ecample https://earth.google.com/web/
Latest Answers