4 points | by thunderbong 13 hours ago
4 comments
> Africa's misrepresentation on world maps is not just a cartographic error - it's a narrative issue
> "world's longest misinformation and disinformation" about Africa
It's not a cartographic error, a narrative issue, misinformation, or disinformation.
The Mercator projection was used because it made it easy to navigate using straight lines:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercator_projection#Marine_nav...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhumb_line
And America was the only country to object. USA, USA! :(
> It was part of efforts to stop the "world's longest misinformation and disinformation" about Africa, she said.
Are they trying to say some negative outcome in Africa is caused by the Mercator projection?
Afrika has a lot of landmass around the equator, while the others are at the edges where in the mercator anything is stretched out. Europe and north america appear bigger than they are.
> Africa's misrepresentation on world maps is not just a cartographic error - it's a narrative issue
> "world's longest misinformation and disinformation" about Africa
It's not a cartographic error, a narrative issue, misinformation, or disinformation.
The Mercator projection was used because it made it easy to navigate using straight lines:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercator_projection#Marine_nav...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhumb_line
And America was the only country to object. USA, USA! :(
> It was part of efforts to stop the "world's longest misinformation and disinformation" about Africa, she said.
Are they trying to say some negative outcome in Africa is caused by the Mercator projection?
Afrika has a lot of landmass around the equator, while the others are at the edges where in the mercator anything is stretched out. Europe and north america appear bigger than they are.