The Mercator projection, a cylindrical map introduced by Geradus Mercator in 1569, distorts the true size of countries on maps, ... An even more extreme example would be Antarctica.

Like symphonies, map projections are named after their makers. Gerardus Mercator was an engraver and globe-maker in 1500s Flanders. Until he came along, most cartographers were using Ptolemy’s ...

Because the Earth is roughly spherical, every flat map distorts our planet one way or another. The most popular version is the Mercator projection, created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus ...

The world map is familiar sight on classroom walls and in atlases, but in terms of country and continent size, it’s way off – and all because of a 16th-century projection.

Colton's 1852 map of the world uses the Mercator projection, cutting off the highly distorted poles. Printed for J & H Miller, Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Wikimedia Commons ...

Mercator Projection Map . ... And Antarctica looks like the biggest continent by far, filling up the bottom of the map, although it really ranks fifth. Why do we put up with that?

Antarctica; Antarctica is a special case. The continent contains no countries, instead it is governed under a 1959 agreement called the Antarctic Treaty, ... Mercator map projection.

So, Antarctica, Greenland and Russia, look far larger in the ... that other projections that fix this problem likely “look odd and convoluted,” to people who grew up looking at Mercator maps.

The current standard for world maps, the Mercator projection, was developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. The map became the official standard because it is great for nautical ...

This map shows that in reality, Brazil is almost as large as Canada, even though it appears to be much smaller on Mercator maps. NGM Maps. More Details.