The problem of scale, maps vs. globes

I've noticed for some years that people have an odd notion of scale of the world. They will think that some disaster in one place, because they can imagine it, looms larger than it is in proportion to the Earth.

This brings up the subject of what stands as an accurate representation of the scale differences of places on the Earth.

The only accurate way to examine scale of places on Earth, is to look at a globe. What is very odd is that schools, libraries, and even colleges no longer display globes. They display world maps. But all two-dimensional representations of our three-dimension earth have to have distortions.

Below is a map called the Gall-Peters projection. It is currently being introduced into school-rooms in Massachusetts. Yet it is no less distorted than map projections it is replacing. In fact it is more-so.

Gall-Peterson map being introduced in Massachusetts

There are an unlimited number of possible ways of projecting the Earth's surface onto a two dimensional surface. But none of them give you an accurate description. This is because such a thing is impossible. Here is a list of projections from Wikipedia. And here on Google you can see that hardly any two maps are the same.

Now look at the map above. Notice how small Russia looks, like a long sliver. Look at Africa. It is not clear what Massachusetts schools are trying to teach their children. Why don't they study the globe if they want accuracy?

The map below is the popular Rand McNally projection I have on my wall. I bought it from Barnes and Noble.

The popular Rand McNally world map

It too gives a misleading idea of the size of land masses. For instance, Greenland (seen in pink at top) appears huge in comparison to the United States. To see how distorted this is, compare it to the photo below that I took of Greenland on my globe.

Globe depicting actual relative scale of Greenland. Compare to Rand-McNally.

Neither map projection above comes anywhere near giving people a sense of actual scale of landmasses. The only way that such a sense can be gained is from a globe. And yet you will hardly find a globe in any home or classroom in America.

There are many implications to this problem. The computer age has in fact in a sense dumbed our senses down, giving us a distorted 2-D perception of the world, and a deeply distorted sense of scale.

Now take a look at Russia in comparison to Europe on a globe. My globe was made in 1969 and still calls it the U.S.S.R. But the scale is what I am illustrating.

Russia on a globe

Maps have deeply distorted our geographical worldview. Maps are political, and so is the one being introduced in Massachusetts as an 'improvement.'

Maps are good for navigation and travel, but not for gaining an objective idea of world land-masses, scale, and proximity. Children should be taught the world on globes. Depictions of the Earth should not be used as political tools for indoctrination.

Now having seen the actual scale of Russia on a globe, compare to the two representations of Russia on the maps below, both in use in different parts of the world.

Russia absurdly diminished on a map in use

World map as it is seen in Asian countries

How you project the world onto a map alters how you look at it.

I have two globes and one large wall map, and I also use Google maps. I was surprised at the complexity of this issue when I went to research for this post. Maps are highly politicized propaganda tools. I am a big believer in using a globe to educate yourself, and in being aware of the subtle manipulation that world maps are used for.

One more funny map. This map is hysterical for how large it makes Greenland. 

It makes Greenland the size of Africa. Scroll up if you missed it, to see how small Greenland actually is on a globe.