Maps Distort How We See the World
30 Maps to Rethink the World
Maps twist our perception of the world.
Countries closer to the equator — which happen to be poorer— seem smaller than they are.
This is because the world is a 3D sphere, but maps are 2D projections on a plane. That means distortion!
Here is a static version showing the equator, to compare more easily and see how much the projection differs from reality as you move away from it:
We should be wary of flattening balls!
So we develop a poor intuition for comparative region sizes.
The biggest loser is Africa, which is humongous:
Here’s another take on it, to drive the point home.