These maps will change how you see the world

Most maps, like the Mercator projection, distort the size or shape of land masses. Image: REUTERS/NASA
Maps are all imperfect because they portray the globe in just two dimensions. Most maps, like the Mercator projection, distort the size or shape of land masses, which skews our perceptions of how big continents and countries are compared to one another.
When you consider square mileage though, a whole new world appears. Inspired by this map of Africa's true size from German graphic designer Kai Krause, we created 15 map overlays to open your eyes to some real geography.















Don't miss any update on this topic
Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.
License and Republishing
World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
Stay up to date:
Future of the Environment
Related topics:
Forum Stories newsletter
Bringing you weekly curated insights and analysis on the global issues that matter.
More on Economic GrowthSee all
Rebecca Geldard
February 7, 2025