Have you ever wondered if Texas truly dwarfs Poland, or if Russia’s east-to-west expanse outstrips Africa’s north-to-south length? Questions about the real sizes of countries, often distorted by traditional world maps, can be surprisingly perplexing. Fortunately, TheTrueSize.com offers a powerful and intuitive web tool to resolve these geographical size mysteries and accurately Map Compare Country Sizes.
Inspired by a scene from The West Wing, where the fictional Organisation of Cartographers for Social Equality (OCSE) advocates for the Peters projection map in schools over the conventional Mercator projection, TheTrueSize.com was created by James Talmage and Damon Maneice. The core issue highlighted by the OCSE, and addressed by this tool, is the inherent distortion of the Mercator projection, a staple in classrooms and atlases worldwide.
Cartographers for Social Equality – The West Wing
The Mercator Problem: Why Maps Lie About Size
The Mercator projection, while invaluable for nautical navigation due to its straight lines of constant bearing, significantly distorts the size of landmasses, particularly as they move away from the equator towards the poles. This distortion isn’t intentional malice, as the OCSE scientists in The West Wing clarify, acknowledging Mercator’s original purpose was navigational aid for European sailors. However, the consequence of this projection is a visual misrepresentation of global proportions, leading to skewed perceptions of country and continent sizes.
Consider Greenland, a classic example often cited, including in The West Wing. On a Mercator map, Greenland appears deceptively similar in size to Africa. The reality is starkly different: Africa is a colossal continent, approximately 14 times larger than Greenland. Similarly, Europe often seems to visually outweigh South America on Mercator projections, when in fact, South America is nearly double the size of Europe. Even within North America, Alaska’s apparent size compared to Mexico is misleading; Mexico is slightly larger than Alaska, despite the map suggesting Alaska is three times bigger.
TheTrueSize.com: A Tool for Accurate Country Size Comparison
TheTrueSize.com emerges as an engaging and educational solution to these cartographic distortions. Unlike the Peters projection, which, while size-accurate, can appear unfamiliar and unconventional to many, TheTrueSize.com offers an intuitive and visually accessible way to compare country sizes on a map without introducing a completely new map aesthetic.
As the creators, Talmage and Macniece, envisioned, this tool is particularly valuable for educators. It allows students to directly visualize the true scale of countries, fostering a more accurate understanding of global geography. The website’s interactive nature encourages exploration and discovery, making learning about map compare country sizes both informative and fun.
The beauty of TheTrueSize.com lies in its simplicity. Users can search for a country, then drag and drop it anywhere on the map. As a country is moved towards the poles, the Mercator distortion effect becomes strikingly apparent – it visually inflates. Conversely, dragging a country towards the equator reveals its true proportions, shrinking it down to its accurate relative size. This dynamic visualization provides an immediate and impactful lesson in cartographic distortion and the importance of accurate country size comparison maps.
Real-World Size Comparisons Unveiled
Let’s explore some compelling examples of map compare country sizes using TheTrueSize.com, mirroring the insightful comparisons highlighted in the original article:
Greenland vs. Africa:
As depicted on standard Mercator maps, Greenland appears to rival Africa in size.
However, dragging Greenland from its Arctic location and placing it near Africa near the equator on TheTrueSize.com instantly reveals the immense size difference. Greenland, with an area of 836,000 square miles (2.16 million km2), is considerably smaller than the Democratic Republic of Congo, which spans 857,000 sq. mi (2.22 million km2), and dwarfed by the entirety of Africa.
United Kingdom vs. Tanzania:
Initial visual estimations on typical maps might suggest a comparable size between the United Kingdom and Tanzania.
Using TheTrueSize.com, dragging the UK to the latitude of Tanzania reveals that Tanzania comfortably swallows the entire UK, highlighting the deceptive nature of Mercator projections in representing relative sizes, especially for countries at different latitudes.
Russia vs. Africa:
Russia, the world’s largest country, often appears overwhelmingly massive on Mercator maps, seemingly dwarfing continents like Africa.
However, by relocating Russia to the equator on TheTrueSize.com, Africa’s true immensity becomes clear. At 11.73 million sq. mi (30.37 million km2), Africa is nearly twice the size of Russia’s 6.6 million sq. mi (17 million km2).
Texas vs. Poland:
The popular adage “Everything’s bigger in Texas” gains geographical context when comparing Texas to European countries like Poland.
Dragging Texas over a map of Eastern Europe using the tool visually confirms that Texas easily encompasses the entirety of Poland, with significant territory to spare, demonstrating the substantial size of Texas.
Lower 48 US States vs. Europe:
Visualizing the scale of the United States relative to Europe provides a valuable geographical perspective.
By overlaying the contiguous United States onto Europe on TheTrueSize.com, we see the vastness of the US, stretching from the west of Ireland to Southern Texas if Seattle were positioned over Ireland, and reaching deep into Siberia if New York was placed there.
United States – Distortion at Different Latitudes:
Moving the outline of the United States northward on Mercator projection dramatically distorts its shape, exaggerating its size.
Conversely, moving it towards the equator shows a less dramatic size change, primarily a slight shrinkage, illustrating how latitude impacts perceived size on Mercator maps.
Top 10 Largest Countries at the Equator:
Placing the world’s ten largest countries at the equator on TheTrueSize.com provides a level playing field for size comparison, removing latitude-based distortion.
This equator-based comparison reveals that the size differences between these geographical giants are less dramatic than often perceived on standard world maps.
Germany vs. US Midwest:
For a relatable regional comparison, consider Germany and the US Midwest.
TheTrueSize.com allows you to position Germany over the Midwest, revealing that the combined area of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky (135,000 sq. mi) is nearly identical to Germany’s area (just under 138,000 sq. mi), offering a tangible sense of scale.
Beyond Mercator: Acknowledging Map Projection Diversity
While TheTrueSize.com brilliantly addresses the distortions of the Mercator projection, it’s important to remember that various map projections serve different purposes. The Peters projection, for instance, prioritizes area accuracy, sacrificing shape accuracy. While it presents countries in their true proportions, its unconventional appearance has limited its widespread adoption. TheTrueSize.com cleverly avoids this aesthetic hurdle, providing size accuracy within a familiar map context.
Conclusion: Visualizing True Global Proportions
TheTrueSize.com is more than just a website; it’s an educational tool that empowers users to critically examine world maps and understand the inherent distortions of common projections like Mercator. By allowing users to interactively map compare country sizes, it fosters a more accurate and intuitive grasp of global geography. Whether you’re a student, educator, or simply a curious individual, TheTrueSize.com offers a fascinating and insightful journey into the true dimensions of our world. Explore TheTrueSize.com today and unlock a clearer vision of our planet’s proportions.
Images sourced from The True Size and Bored Panda.
