US schools to get new world map after 500 years of 'colonial' distortion Expert explains why maps of Britain show Cornwall 'ever so slightly' bigger than it actually is ...

With a Mercator projection, as you move away from the equator, land masses appear increasingly larger as you approach the poles. That distortion is present on these maps.

Capital Weather Gang When examining maps, understand their strengths and limitations With the coronavirus pandemic, maps conveying information are everywhere. Inspect them critically.

The True Size map points out that Mercator projections suggest Greenland is roughly the same size size as Africa. The mind-blowing reality is that the continent is 14.5 times bigger than Greenland.

Have you ever looked at a world map and wondered why some countries seem much larger than others, even though that doesn't match the real world? Well, that’s because the map you're used to is likely ...

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.

One example of this is the GS50, the only projection where you can see all 50 states—including Alaska and Hawai'i—on a single, seamless map with minimal distortion.

With a Mercator projection, as you move away from the equator, land masses appear increasingly larger as you approach the poles. That distortion is present on these maps.