Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A Distorted Worldview
The Mercator Projection
What's wrong with this picture? Actually, it's the map that's wrong. Look for example at the size comparison between Iceland and Africa. (Hint: The photo below gives an accurate perspective; the map not so much.)
What does it mean that this map -- the Mercator Projection -- has been at the center of Western geographical "understanding" for the past several centuries?
The Earth from Space