It’s a common misconception that the maps we see in classrooms, atlases, and online accurately represent our planet. In reality, every flat map of the Earth is inherently distorted. This is because the Earth is a sphere, and any attempt to flatten it onto a two-dimensional surface introduces inaccuracies.
The most widely used projection is the Mercator projection, invented by Gerardus Mercator in 1569. While it’s excellent for navigation, it significantly distorts the size of landmasses near the poles. For instance, Greenland appears larger than South America on a Mercator map, even though South America is more than eight times larger. This distortion has led to misconceptions about the relative sizes of countries and continents.
Other projections, such as the Peters projection, attempt to preserve the relative areas of landmasses. However, they introduce other distortions, such as distorted shapes. The Robinson projection is a compromise between the Mercator and Peters projections, attempting to balance area and shape preservation.
The problem is that there needs to be a perfect solution. Flat maps must trade between preserving area, shape, distance, or direction. This means no single map can accurately represent all aspects of our spherical planet.
While the distortions in most maps may seem insignificant at first glance, they can have real-world consequences. For example, the Mercator projection’s emphasis on northern latitudes has contributed to a Eurocentric worldview. It has also led to disproportionate funding for scientific research in the Global North, as the larger size of countries in that region on the map may have been interpreted as a measure of their importance.
Recently, a growing movement has been to promote more accurate and inclusive maps. This includes the development of new projections that better represent the diversity of the world’s cultures and landscapes and efforts to educate people about the limitations of traditional maps. As technology advances, we expect to see even more innovative ways to visualize our planet.