Tomas, this is such a great article, and right up my street. One thing that I love is also how different things appear if you play with the orientation of maps—like turning them upside down or sideways. I remember seeing a map of the UK upside down but with all the names turned as well, so that it read legibly but was utterly unsettling to look at. Also, I recall a map of the Mediterranean but with Gibraltar at the north and Turkiye at the south. Fascinating.
Thanks for your great work. I always enjoy it and just subscribed.
Yep, Mercator really makes Europe, Russia, and Canada (all in the far north) much bigger than they are and Africa much smaller than it is. That's why everyone should teach their kids geography with a globe.
BTW, Japanese maps still put Japan in the center of the map. There's no good reason to divide along the Pacific than the Atlantic so it's a stylistic choice that probably differs by country.
These illustrations and commentary are über fantastic and mind blowing terrific.
Thank you, thank you, a million thank yous for sharing this magnificent graphics and information data. My hat goes off to Unchartered Territories — You are simply the best
Maps? Yes! Any and all sort, too numerous and random (besides the usual US centered Mercator) to praise/laugh/cry/catatonically stare at throughout my pitiful life as a map junkie. The lack of will to not look has taken it's toll, but enough about me. Epic slice of geography porn, sir, clever finale' - jolly good show!
Is anyone agitating against the use of Mercator projections? Especially on a TV news story, they could show a spinning globe instead. I see lots of examples of how people really believe the Mercator version. For example, a glass paperweight with Alaska & Greenland along the equator & Africa small, toward the south pole.
That might be because you read it in your email? If you see it on web, you'll see it. I assume Substack can't do this inside of email (javascript or something?)
You have laid the bait quite well with this article, Thomas. I am hooked for the premium article. At our home, we always have a big world map on the wall... it becomes a great conversation feeder for kids and adults alike... It would be great to replace it a with a better version as the world clearly doesn't revolve around London as the meridian anymore ;)
Real orientation of the Panama canal really made me think of my distortioned mind... 😜 ... Will get myself a good old backlit globe. It makes much more sense. At least at home.
Great presentation. Among many other things, it drives home the size of Pacific Ocean. That, when combined with the distances involved, explains why it took Western explorers well into the Nineteenth Century to fully explore the Pacific.
Glad to hear, Auren! Most of us know some of them, but I think seeing them all in one place does give a sense of how much these conventions shape our understanding of the world.
Tchaikovsky wrote a good book about an octopus civilisation... and really great to see (discussions of) a world map that not only doesn't forget, but even mentions New Zealand... :D
Tomas, this is such a great article, and right up my street. One thing that I love is also how different things appear if you play with the orientation of maps—like turning them upside down or sideways. I remember seeing a map of the UK upside down but with all the names turned as well, so that it read legibly but was utterly unsettling to look at. Also, I recall a map of the Mediterranean but with Gibraltar at the north and Turkiye at the south. Fascinating.
Thanks for your great work. I always enjoy it and just subscribed.
Best wishes
Jolyon
Indeed! I explore these in the premium article this week!
The visualizations for the distances were academically and graphically sweet!
Glad to hear!
And yes, big countries are big. Canada is closer to Moscow, London, and Paris than some parts of Canada are to Toronto and Montreal.
I didn’t realize this one but that makes sense!
Yep, Mercator really makes Europe, Russia, and Canada (all in the far north) much bigger than they are and Africa much smaller than it is. That's why everyone should teach their kids geography with a globe.
BTW, Japanese maps still put Japan in the center of the map. There's no good reason to divide along the Pacific than the Atlantic so it's a stylistic choice that probably differs by country.
I agree! There are a couple of reasons though, I explore them in the premium article.
I didn’t know about Japan so glad to hear.
These illustrations and commentary are über fantastic and mind blowing terrific.
Thank you, thank you, a million thank yous for sharing this magnificent graphics and information data. My hat goes off to Unchartered Territories — You are simply the best
Love the enthusiasm! Thanks!!
Outstanding explanation Tomas. Let's challenge the conventional wisdom. It's old, colonized, discriminatory. Thanks for brining this up.
Maps? Yes! Any and all sort, too numerous and random (besides the usual US centered Mercator) to praise/laugh/cry/catatonically stare at throughout my pitiful life as a map junkie. The lack of will to not look has taken it's toll, but enough about me. Epic slice of geography porn, sir, clever finale' - jolly good show!
Is anyone agitating against the use of Mercator projections? Especially on a TV news story, they could show a spinning globe instead. I see lots of examples of how people really believe the Mercator version. For example, a glass paperweight with Alaska & Greenland along the equator & Africa small, toward the south pole.
I myself thought it was more accurate than it actually is. And I stumble upon it a lot in my research. So yes, I think this is worth agitating about!
This was a very entertaining article. I'll be sure to forward it to a good friend and former professor of geography.
When I finished it and saw the footnotes, I didn't bother to look for them in the text because it would be a bit tedious.
Wouldn't it be nice if footnotes had a "hot-link" that connected a note to the source of that note?
I’d you click on the footnote, you’ll go to that footnote. If you click again on the number, you’ll go back to the footnote!
Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way on my laptop. It would be great if it did.
That might be because you read it in your email? If you see it on web, you'll see it. I assume Substack can't do this inside of email (javascript or something?)
You have laid the bait quite well with this article, Thomas. I am hooked for the premium article. At our home, we always have a big world map on the wall... it becomes a great conversation feeder for kids and adults alike... It would be great to replace it a with a better version as the world clearly doesn't revolve around London as the meridian anymore ;)
Ah I love to hear that, at all levels. Thanks for sharing!!
Real orientation of the Panama canal really made me think of my distortioned mind... 😜 ... Will get myself a good old backlit globe. It makes much more sense. At least at home.
Great presentation. Among many other things, it drives home the size of Pacific Ocean. That, when combined with the distances involved, explains why it took Western explorers well into the Nineteenth Century to fully explore the Pacific.
thanks for doing this. loved this piece!
Glad to hear, Auren! Most of us know some of them, but I think seeing them all in one place does give a sense of how much these conventions shape our understanding of the world.
these distortions have real economic implications!
see: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.34.1.196
Thanks!
Peter's projection
Tchaikovsky wrote a good book about an octopus civilisation... and really great to see (discussions of) a world map that not only doesn't forget, but even mentions New Zealand... :D
Grrr harrumph.... https://twitter.com/TerribleMaps/status/1629863355635695617?s=20