@ratinsky: Africa has just "grown" on the world map—for the first time in history. Something unprecedented happened today: the world voted to switch to a new map that finally depicts Africa at its true size. And here is the mind-blowing part: the 500-year-old Mercator map we are all used to severely distorts the size of continents. It was created for navigators so that a ship's course could be plotted as a straight line. To achieve this, literally everything had to be stretched. The result? On the Mercator map, Greenland looks the same size as the entire continent of Africa—even though Africa is actually 14 times larger than Greenland. But that’s not all. The USA, China, India, Japan, and almost all of Western Europe could easily fit inside Africa—with room to spare. Some call this one of the longest-running disinformation campaigns in history. The proposed alternative is the "Equal Earth" projection, created in 2018. The principle is simple: it preserves the actual surface area of ​​countries. If two countries look the same size, they really are the same size. The trade-off is the shape: the outlines of the continents appear slightly flattened at the edges. The vote took place today. 164 countries voted in favor of the change. Only one voted against it: the USA. The resolution is non-binding—it is merely a recommendation. However, maps in schools, textbooks, media outlets, and apps will likely begin to reflect this new view. France has already announced it is making the switch. Would you like to see the true sizes of continents on the maps we use every day? #africa #world

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Monday 14 September 2026 19:04:02 GMT