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 It’s using an outdated projection technique called ” Mercator projection ” that was mainly used for sailing back in the 16th century.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?
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When you try to make a flat representation of a round (or round-ish) object, there’s always going to be misrepresentation. Just try to cup a ball ou something else round you have and make it completely flat.
It can be probably less distorted if you do like peeling an orange, but a thin strip is probably not going to be very useful as a map.
Usually the part that gets less distorted in a map is the part in the center. The world map we usually use is centered on the equator. Everything close to the equator has a lower distortion and this far from the equator are more distorted.
There are some different maps created more recently, but they all have misrepresentations. It seems to me that it would be too much work to change the main one used 8n the world 8f the improvement is not that big.
Of course, not everyone that works with maps uses this one, if you need a map focused on a specific region, like the poles, you’re not going to use the same that somebody that studies African geography…
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