What is one reason why the size of Africa can vary on maps?

It’s because most maps use the Mercator Projection. On it, Greenland looks to be the same size as Africa. In reality, Africa is actually 14 times larger. Replicating the globe onto a flat surface distorts the sizes of the countries yet many have no idea.

Why is Africa in the middle of the map?

Another convention of world maps is that they are centred on the prime meridian, or zero degrees longitude (east-west). The result is that Europe (although also Africa) is in the centre of the conventional world map – a rather colonial perspective.

Can all continents fit into Africa?

All continents put together will fit in, into Africa.” Altogether, the world’s seven continents make up roughly 57.5 million square miles of land.

Why is the size of a country on a world map wrong?

It’s all down to the European cartographer Geert de Kremer, better known as Mercator, and his 16th century map projection – a common template for world maps today – which distorts the size of countries.

Why do we still use world maps?

“The world maps that prevail today have been embedded in Western imaginations since the British empire. They continue (to prevail) despite many challenges to their fairness and accuracy because they underpin the ongoing Anglo-Euro-American presumption that the world belongs to them, and pivots around these geo-cultural axes,” Franklin says.

Does Africa look bigger on the Mercator map?

The repercussions of this are still being felt today. On the Mercator map, Africa – sitting on the equator, reasonably undistorted – is left looking much smaller than it really is. But Canada, Russia, the United States and Europe are greatly enlarged.

What are the dangers of the Mercator map?

One of the dangers of the Mercator map is that it can make enlarged countries seem unnaturally powerful and intimidating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0iL501QkuA