this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
29 points (96.8% liked)

Futurology

4317 readers
274 users here now

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Africa is the big loser in the current system, as the Mercator map makes it look far smaller than it really is. Europe and Russia would look far smaller (their true size) in a corrected map. Brazil is also a beneficiary with a corrected map; it looks far bigger in reality than the Mercator map represents it.

The campaign seems to be going places. The World Bank says it is phasing out the use of the Mercator map, and various UN bodies are looking at doing the same.

African Union joins calls to end use of Mercator map that shrinks continent’s size

top 8 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

I remember this episode of The West Wing.

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 4 points 11 months ago

The question isnt wether the mercator map is in need for replacement. Its about what alternative map to use instead that we can all agree on.

[–] metaStatic@kbin.earth 3 points 11 months ago

I'm ok with this as long as we can continue to leave New Zealand off any replacement.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Why not just use photos of globes?

[–] BlazeDaley@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Every projection between a sphere, or even sphere section to a plane is going to have distortion. You can make tradeoffs between different distortion types, but you wont eliminate them.

Gauss's Theorema Egregium

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I think that helps somewhat, but it still distorts the poles, just with an added hint of depth

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It does, but if the problem is under-representation of Africa, well, the poles don't matter.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Why you gotta do Poland dirty like that?