All Maps Lie! The Mercator Projection, The Most Commonly Looked at Map In The World, isn't So Right.

From original on TikTok @map_nerd:

There’s a basic problem in showing the world on a flat map. The world's not flat, so that’s the problem.

When you take something that’s a round globe and try to flatten it out, things get very distorted; like a lot of places that look tiny are much bigger, and places that look massive are actually tiny.

Australia is actually a similar size to the lower 48 of the US even tho it looks like a much smaller island. Brazil is actually bigger than the contiguous US. (Contiguous= not counting Alaska, Hawaii). The whole of The UK (Britain) fits into Michigan.

And that giant thing on the top of every map that towers over everything - Greenland - its really not that big - it’s more like the size of Mexico.

Maps you look at everyday , like Google Maps and the ones you pull down in school (do they still have those?) don’t actually show the world as it really is. They can’t.

It’s actually physically impossible to flatten a sphere without distorting it somehow. Try it.

The most commonly used map type - called the Mercator Projection - was designed over 450 years ago and it was made that way mainly so boats could navigate without getting totally confused. Now it’s pretty much ingrained in everything we look at. There’s lots of debate if it’s the best way to look at the world for a lot of reasons (including the fact that it seems to favor places like Europe at the expense of places like Africa).

There’s lots of other ways to make a flat map of the world but none will ever be perfect. check them out - it might change how you look at the world.

[ggman.]

Him: google maps is lying to you! you cant have a flat map of a sphere
Him: shows google maps mapped on a sphere

[DanielRodriguez-vdvy]

“The whole of the UK fits into Michigan” now that’s perspective

[TheFirstCalled.AD]

The only thing flat earthers fear, is sphere itself.

[KnownPhoenix]

Makes me realise there is a ton less land than I had originally thought. To be honest, it's an extremely terrifying thought

[ricefield]

Not only Greenland that look humongous but Antarctica also look like a huge wall across the earth

[RaptorTroll]

"The world's not flat."
Flat earthers: *demented screeching*

[slappy]

If you look at the Mercator projection map, you'll notice that the grid lines extend vertically the further away from the equator, which is your indicator that the landmasses are being stretched in order to fit on to the map and keep all distances correct.

[Xentra]

I always assumed things weren’t quite right on flat maps but the Greenland thing seriously caught me off guard

[jimmyisawkward]

“All maps lie!”

*Shows a map that doesn’t lie*

[connormapping]

The Mercator projection wasn't made for size accuracy to begin with, it was made for sailing (if you would measure a 45° angle on the map it would be the exact same on the globe)

[alemayehusolomon]

Cool video. Just use a globe, that really helps you keep in mind appropriate proportions.

[axiom.ai.obviousbattletank]

I'm a truck driver and still get surprised every once in a while by how close or far a place is based you my perception of the lower 48.

[terriblejokefactory]

For example of sizes getting distorted: Russia might look big enough to cover 2/3 of Africa if placed vertically, but it's only big enough to go from the west coast of Africa to the horn of Africa (while covering the Sahara, the largest desert in the world but let's ignore that part)

[anthonydeltoro-]

The flat map in my room shows the distortion level on the side, so you can still measure and then shrink or expand the measurement according to the side.

[Charlesthegamer]

That's why Many explorer landed in the wrong places and changed there names too

This all make sense now

[guinnessharvey]

The Greenland fact had me. It always seemed like such a huge island. Clearly it isn’t. Loving your content, bro:)

[SWIMMY]

I love that VOX did a video on this and went through multiple projections and when this video says “This guy tried it” Johnny Harris couldn’t flatten it without stretching it. I recommend to anyone the VOX video on “Why all maps are wrong”

[marulemaster]

I've heard this so many times I get bored by this

[Killerwale-hkwy]

Google maps uses mercator because it keeps the shape of countries and only disorts the size. Many other techniques change shapes of places. Which doesn't sound too bad, but google maps uses it's map to view roads and cities, and with Mercator they maintain most of their shape.

[chrispythebot]

I remember seeing and learning about all of these maps in AP Human. It was so crazy