Data scientist Neil Kaye shows how the ubiquitous Mercator Projection distorts the real scale of countries (dark blue = actual size in the map above).

The visualisation shows land masses nearer the Poles [including our own] to be much larger than they actually are.

Take aways: Mercator Alaska is larger than Mexico (it’s not). Mercator Russia is ridiculously exaggerated (it is). Africa is very large indeed.

kottke

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10 thoughts on “Actual Size

  1. Starina

    I get quite a thrill from the Google Maps page these days — it’s all set to a globe grid now so it’s more accurate. Prr.

    1. realPolithicks

      pollie, was so upset to discover that brexitland was actually a tiny lil place that he had a second pimms cup for breakfast (along with his kippers) and is now sleeping it off.

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