Why does Greenland look the same size as Africa on most world maps?
It’s because of the Mercator Projection. This is the most common type of world map, but it badly distorts size. Places near the poles appear much larger than they really are, while areas near the equator appear smaller.
Map projections are mathematical ways of representing the round Earth on a flat surface. The Mercator map was created in 1569 to help sailors navigate. It keeps directions accurate, which makes it perfect for sea travel.
In reality, Africa is about 14 times larger than Greenland.
Globes show land size, position, and distance much more accurately. But people prefer flat maps because they’re easier to display.
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