Used to think Mercator was fine until I saw a map of Greenland next to Africa

Back in college I had this world map on my wall that made Greenland look almost as big as South America. I never questioned it. Last year I saw a comparison that puts Greenland over Africa and it's like a postage stamp. How did I go 10 years without realizing that thing was so warped? Anyone else have that moment where a bad map just clicks in your head?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbaragarcia3d ago

Oh man, I had a friend in college who literally brought a globe to a party once to prove to everyone that Greenland wasn't a giant supercontinent. He was so heated about it, he started tracing the actual size with a string and then held it up next to a map on our dorm wall. The difference was so dramatic we all just stood there staring at his string for like a solid minute. Now I can't unsee it and every Mercator map just looks like a lie to me lol.

thompson.tyler3d ago

That "string on the map" moment @barbaragarcia described is brutal. I had almost the same thing happen when I saw a T-shirt with Africa and Greenland side by side. My brain just broke for a second. You spend your whole life thinking the Mercator map is basically accurate, then bam, you realize it's been lying to you about the whole world. It's like finding out Santa isn't real but much later in life. Now I can't look at a classroom map without getting annoyed at how huge it makes Canada and Russia look.