Why Every World Map Is Wrong

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

• Gall-Peters projection

• Mercator projection

• Winkel Tripel projection

• Globe projection

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

• The surface of a sphere is too complex to be flattened.

• The technology to accurately represent a sphere on a flat plane does not exist.

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

• The laws of physics prevent the accurate representation of a sphere on a flat plane.

What tradeoff does the Mercator projection make in terms of representing countries?

• It accurately represents both the shape and size of countries.

• It accurately represents the size but distorts the shape of countries.

• It accurately represents the shape but distorts the size of countries and continents

• It distorts both the shape and size of countries.

What are areas that appear much larger on the Mercator projection compared to actual size? (pick 4)

• Africa

• Greenland

• Russia

• Canada

• Antarctica

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

• It accurately represented the size of countries.

• It accurately represented the shape of countries.

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

• It provided a more aesthetically pleasing representation of the world.

What does thetruesize.com allow you to do?

• Compare the actual sizes of any countries.

• Compare the shapes of different map projections.

• Compare the accuracy of different map projections.

• Compare the population densities of different countries.

According to the text, what bias is likely perpetuated by the Mercator projection? (Bias means to favor or show preference for one thing over another)

• Bias towards third world countries

• Bias towards European countries

• Bias towards North American countries

• Bias towards South American countries

• Bias towards northern countries

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

• It reinforces the belief that size is not important.

• It reinforces the belief that third world countries are larger and more important.

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

• It reinforces the belief that all countries are equal in size and importance.

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

• Gall-Peters projection

• Mercator projection

• Winkel Tripel projection

• Globe projection

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

• The Mercator projection is the most accurate representation of the world.

• The Gall-Peters projection is the most accurate representation of the world.

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

• The Winkel Tripel projection is the most accurate representation of the world.