Flashcards: Why Every World Map Is Wrong

Front

Which map projection is commonly taught in schools around the U.S.?

Back

Mercator projection

Front

Why is it physically impossible to accurately represent the surface of a sphere on a flat plane?

Back

The process of flattening a sphere always results in some form of distortion.

Front

What is the main reason why the Mercator projection became popular?

Back

It preserved the directionality and shape of countries, which was useful for navigation.

Front

What does thetruesize.com allow you to do?

Back

Compare the actual sizes of any countries.

Front

According to the text, what bias is likely perpetuated by the Mercator projection?

Back

Bias towards European countries

Front

How does the Mercator projection impact people's view of the world, according to psychologists?

Back

It reinforces the belief that the western and northern world is bigger and better than others.

Front

Which map projection balances both size and shape accuracy, according to the National Geographic Society?

Back

Winkel Tripel projection

Front

What is the main message of the text regarding map projections?

Back

No map projection can ever be perfect, but it's important to explore different representations.

Front

What is it called when you take a 3D image and put it onto a 2D surface?

Back

Projection

Front

This map represents size and shape much more accurately, but gives a lot of space to the oceans. What is this projection?

Back

Robinson