African Union joins calls to end use of Mercator map that shrinks continent’s size
Member states back Correct the Map campaign that urges governments and organisations to use more accurate map
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“It’s [the Mercator projection] the world’s longest misinformation and disinformation campaign, and it just simply has to stop.”
No matter how we cut it though, all 2D projections will have some kind of distortion. They opted to preserve area, while the Mercator preserves angles. Arguably it is less important today to preserve angles, as we have automatic navigation systems. There are some alternatives that also preserve the area: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/The-Equal-Earth-compared-to-similar-equal-area-pseudocylindrical-projections.png
Right. What people need to understand that any globe put on a flat surface will be distorted. Their proposal is just as distorted as the Mercator, just in area vs angles as you stated.
Its a good thing you came along to reiterate that.
Just fyi this 2D projection is also distorted just in angles instead of area.
It's not a damn campaign. Activists never seem to be good at nuance.
The Mercator is a propaganda campaign to make Christian countries look big and powerful. Ask yourself why is it only “Christian” countries that are distorted.
Edit: should have put this /s
Maps were used for navigation, which meant angles needed to be preserved. Christian nations colonised a lot, meaning they needed to have maps for navigation a lot too.
This isn't some weird propaganda campaign, that makes no sense. Try making an angle-preserving map that doesn't wildly distort the north and south of the world.
Besides, not sure how Christian the icy wastes of Greenland and Antarctica are.
The Mercator projection is good in what it was made for: Navigation. You know. The whole purpose of maps.
Navigation isn't the only purpose of maps. You can display geographical, social, economic, and a whole host of other datasets on to maps. And since maps with fidelity to lat/long lines are no longer a requirement for navigation, there's a good argument for accurately displaying relative positioning and size.
When was the last time you used a global map for navigation?
It's not even terribly good for that, as when traveling at global scales, most of us travel along great circle paths that end up looking wrong on the Mercator protection.
I know right! It's all done to further Antarctica's hegemony! Just look how huge it seems!
/uj If you want no distortions, get a globe.
But what about Latin America and Christians parts of Africa
Those are inferior skin colors so they’re excluded.
I added to the original comment but I’m trolling lol
