Why is it impossible for a flat map to be completely accurate?
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When this world map was charted in the 1600s according to the Mercator’s projection, the idea was that ships could use the lines of longitude and latitude as a from of navigation.
The flat map, created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569 is still used today by Google Maps.

This map from circa 1798 was charted according to the Mercator’s projection. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images.Source:Getty Images
But centuries later, many who look at it probably don’t realise one big thing — the size of continents and countries are a little out of whack to say the least.
While remaining one of the most popular map projections today its apparent fault is it makes Western nations appear larger than they are.
It also makes Greenland appear the size of Africa when it’s actually around 14 times smaller.
Under this projection, Alaska is almost the size of mainland America and Antarctica appears bigger than any other continent.
And unless you’re a geography expert or really good at understanding maps and country size most people probably wouldn’t realise how big or small some places really are.
The distortion created so much angst that in the 1970s there was a push to make the Gall-Peters projection a less deceptive world mapping alternative, Metrocosm reported.
This projection is an equal area projection which means regions are preserved more accurately.

The Mercator Projection of the Earth, and the view of the world most of us are used to seeing. Picture: WikiCommonsSource:Supplied

The flat map, created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569 is still used today by Google Maps.

This map from circa 1798 was charted according to the Mercator’s projection. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images.Source:Getty Images
But centuries later, many who look at it probably don’t realise one big thing — the size of continents and countries are a little out of whack to say the least.
While remaining one of the most popular map projections today its apparent fault is it makes Western nations appear larger than they are.
It also makes Greenland appear the size of Africa when it’s actually around 14 times smaller.
Under this projection, Alaska is almost the size of mainland America and Antarctica appears bigger than any other continent.
And unless you’re a geography expert or really good at understanding maps and country size most people probably wouldn’t realise how big or small some places really are.
The distortion created so much angst that in the 1970s there was a push to make the Gall-Peters projection a less deceptive world mapping alternative, Metrocosm reported.
This projection is an equal area projection which means regions are preserved more accurately.

The Mercator Projection of the Earth, and the view of the world most of us are used to seeing. Picture: WikiCommonsSource:Supplied

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The Earth is spherical in shape. A map is flat. Imagine a piece of paper stretched around a sphere and then trying to flatten it out. The method of representing the globe on a flat piece of paper is called projection.
Additionally, height makes a difference. Slope distance is always longer than horizontal distance (think of a right angled triangle). We have to show horizontal distances on maps.
Additionally, height makes a difference. Slope distance is always longer than horizontal distance (think of a right angled triangle). We have to show horizontal distances on maps.
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