Maps are something we use every day, from navigating with our phones to understanding global politics. When you look at a world map, you get a sense of the size of different countries and continents. But what if the maps we are so used to are actually deceiving us about the real size of these places? You might be surprised to learn that the question, “How Big Is Africa Compared To The Us?” has an answer that challenges our visual perception of the world.
For centuries, the most common world maps have used a system called the Mercator projection. While this system is excellent for navigation because it keeps directions accurate, it drastically distorts the size of landmasses, especially as you move further away from the equator towards the poles. This distortion leads to a common misconception about the size of countries and continents. Websites like thetruesize.comMQ~!CN*OTkyMTY5Nw.NzMxNDcwNQ(MjI1)Mg) are helping to correct these misconceptions by allowing you to see the true relative sizes of countries when placed at the same latitude.
The Distortion of Mercator Projection: Why Maps Lie About Size
To understand why Africa and the US, and many other regions, appear differently on maps than they are in reality, we need to delve into map projections. Imagine trying to flatten the surface of a sphere – the Earth – onto a flat piece of paper. There’s no perfect way to do this without distorting some aspect of the sphere, whether it’s shape, area, distance, or direction.
Gerardus Mercator, a 16th-century cartographer, developed his projection primarily for nautical navigation. Sailors needed maps where straight lines would represent constant compass bearings, making it easier to chart courses across the oceans. The Mercator projection achieves this by making lines of longitude parallel, which they are not on a sphere; they converge at the poles. To compensate for this stretching of longitude lines, the map also stretches latitude lines, particularly towards the poles.
This stretching is the key to the size distortion. Areas further from the equator are exaggerated in size. Greenland, for example, appears to be as large as Africa on many Mercator projection maps.
Africa vs. the United States: A Stark Size Contrast
So, let’s get back to our primary question: how big is Africa compared to the US? The contiguous United States (the 48 states excluding Alaska and Hawaii) has a land area of approximately 9.9 million square kilometers (3.8 million square miles). Africa, on the other hand, is a massive continent spanning roughly 30.2 million square kilometers (11.7 million square miles).
Africa is about three times larger than the contiguous United States.
On a typical world map using Mercator projection, the visual difference in size between Africa and the US is far less dramatic. The United States, situated in the mid-latitudes, appears significantly larger relative to its actual size compared to Africa, which straddles the equator. This is because the US is shown with a greater degree of size distortion than equatorial Africa on Mercator projection maps.
If you were to take the outline of the United States and move it down to the latitudes of Africa, as demonstrated by thetruesize.com, you would see it shrink dramatically in comparison to the African continent. This interactive tool provides a powerful visual representation of just how misleading traditional maps can be regarding size.
Exploring Further Size Distortions
The distortion effect is not limited to just Africa and the US. Consider other examples:
- Greenland vs. Africa: As mentioned, Greenland appears enormous on Mercator maps, often looking similar in size to Africa. However, Africa is actually about 14 times larger than Greenland in terms of land area.
- Canada vs. China: Canada, like Greenland, is located at higher latitudes and is visually inflated on maps. While Canada is geographically vast, China, located further south, has a comparable land area but appears smaller on many maps due to less distortion.
- Europe vs. South America: Europe seems to dominate the northern hemisphere on maps, but when compared to South America, particularly Brazil, its true size is much less imposing. Brazil alone is almost as large as the entire continent of Europe.
These examples highlight a consistent pattern: countries and continents located closer to the poles are visually exaggerated in size on standard world maps, while those near the equator are comparatively diminished.
The True Size: Using thetruesize.com to Correct Our Perception
Websites like thetruesize.com offer a valuable service by allowing users to drag and drop country outlines across the globe, automatically adjusting their size to reflect the distortion at different latitudes. This tool was inspired by a realization of the immense size of Africa compared to common map portrayals, popularized by an infographic called “The True Size of Africa” by Kai Krause, and even referenced in an episode of the political drama The West Wing.
By using thetruesize.com, you can directly compare the real relative sizes of any countries or regions you choose. It’s an engaging and educational way to overcome the ingrained distortions of Mercator projection maps and develop a more accurate understanding of global geography.
In conclusion, when we ask “how big is Africa compared to the US?”, the answer is significantly different from what a typical world map might suggest. Africa is vastly larger than the United States. The Mercator projection, while useful for navigation, severely distorts our perception of size, especially for regions far from the equator. Tools like thetruesize.com are essential for visualizing the real dimensions of our world and correcting these long-standing geographical misconceptions. Explore the website and challenge your own map-based assumptions about the size of our world!
