The vastness of Texas is a recurring theme in American lore, but how does its size truly stack up against a continent like Europe? A recent viral map circulating on social media attempted to answer this question, depicting Texas sprawled across several Western European countries. But does this image accurately represent the scale, or is it an exaggeration?
Claiming to reveal how “you’ll never look at the world the same,” a Facebook post in October 2024 showcased a map overlaying the outline of Texas onto Europe. This visual suggested Texas encompassed significant portions of nations like Spain, France, Italy, and Germany, racking up over 17,000 reactions and sparking widespread online discussion about the sheer size of Texas.
While it’s undeniable that Texas is a large state – the second largest in the United States after Alaska – the viral map presents a slightly skewed perspective. Hayley Drennon, a senior research assistant at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, confirmed that “Texas really is THAT big,” but also pointed out that the social media graphic moderately exaggerates the state’s boundaries. Despite this slight inflation, the core message holds true: Texas is indeed comparable in size to a substantial portion of Europe.
To understand the nuances of this comparison, it’s essential to delve into how these maps are created and the inherent distortions that can arise when representing a spherical Earth on a flat surface.
(Image courtesy of Facebook page My America)
To investigate the accuracy of the viral map, Drennon recreated a similar visual using official geographic data. Utilizing the Texas State Boundary shapefile from the Texas Department of Transportation (TDT) and ESRI’s ArcPro Software, a geographic information system used by researchers and governments, she projected Texas onto a European map. This process allowed for a more precise comparison based on authoritative data sources.
Drennon’s map, while visually similar to the Facebook post, reveals subtle but important differences. A side-by-side comparison highlights that the viral map inflates Texas’s dimensions. For instance, in the Facebook version, El Paso County, located in West Texas, appears to stretch near the border of Spain and France. In Drennon’s rendition, El Paso County is positioned further north. Similarly, the southernmost point of Cameron County in the viral image nearly reaches Rome, Italy, while in the more accurate map, it also sits further north.
(Snopes compilation Facebook/@myamericatravel, Drennon)
This discrepancy, according to Drennon, likely stems from map projection. Projecting a three-dimensional globe onto a two-dimensional map inevitably introduces distortion. She uses the analogy of wrapping a circular object: depending on the wrapping technique, the paper might appear differently. Different map projections employ varying methods, resulting in shape and size distortions.
One common projection, the Mercator projection, is known for exaggerating the size of areas closer to the poles, such as Europe and North America, while understating the size of regions near the equator. The website The True Size, which appears to be the source of the viral map, acknowledges this distortion. Their “About” page explains that the Mercator projection, while popular, distorts sizes, making Greenland seem as large as Africa when, in reality, Africa is over 14 times larger. This inherent distortion likely contributes to the exaggerated portrayal of Texas in the social media map.
Despite the slight exaggeration, the underlying point about Texas’s considerable size remains valid. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas boasts a land area of 261,193.9 square miles and a water area of 7,330.9 square miles, totaling 268,524.8 square miles within its state borders. This vast area is indeed comparable to the landmass of numerous European nations combined, illustrating why the comparison, even with some distortion, resonated with so many online.
In conclusion, while the viral map of Texas overlaid on Europe slightly overstates the state’s size due to projection distortions, it effectively communicates the immense scale of Texas. The Lone Star State is undeniably large, holding a land area that rivals that of many countries in Europe. Understanding map projections and their inherent distortions is crucial for accurately interpreting geographical comparisons and appreciating the true size of places like Texas within the global context.
Sources
An Introduction to ArcGIS Online—ArcGIS Online Help | Documentation. https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/get-started/what-is-agol.htm. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
‘Compare Countries With This Simple Tool’. The True Size, https://www.thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTQ3MTM5NTk.MTI2NTMyMjU*MjEwNzQ2NjM(MTUyMjExNDc~!US-TX*ODcyMDI1NQ.MjIyNjA0NzQ(MTQ3)NA. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
‘—‘. The True Size, https://www.thetruesize.com/#/aboutModal. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Explore Census Data. https://data.census.gov/profile/Texas?g=040XX00US48. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Map of Four Regions – North, South, East, West. Texas Department of Transportation, https://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/fin/sib/regions-map.pdf. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Texas State Boundary Detailed. https://gis-txdot.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/texas-state-boundary-detailed/explore?location=30.807276,-98.916283,5.61. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
