World maps have always been inaccurate.

(Dan Tri) - A new map solves the problems of old maps, accurately showing the size and relative proportions between continents and countries.

Every map of the world you've ever seen is inaccurate. That said, you might agree that "since the Earth is round and maps are flat, how can they be completely accurate?" True, but that's not the point.

While the world maps we have used for centuries do not show the most accurate shapes of land masses, the Equal Earth world map does.

Map of the Equal Earth - countries of the world. (Photo: Tom Patterson).

Cartographers have presented this solution in a new paper published in the International Journal of Geoinformation Science. According to the paper, the new world map is not only the most accurate, but also actually shows the proper sizes of land masses and continents on our planet.

The equidistant Earth map was based on earlier maps, such as the Mercator projection and the Gall-Peters projection. However, both of these older maps had problems.

The Mercator map shows everything in its correct place, but makes land masses farther from the equator appear larger than they actually are. The Gall-Peters map partially solves that problem by making the land masses appear rounder, but it distorts the shape of the continents. So it still doesn't give an accurate picture of the world.

The difference and novelty of the Equal Earth map is that it was created by combining the two maps mentioned above. After combining them, experts got the Robinson projection map with higher accuracy. From there, researchers built the Equal Earth map with even higher accuracy.

It is arguably the most accurate map ever made. Not only does it depict land masses at their most accurate sizes, it also shows a realistic representation of their shapes. This solves two problems that previous maps had.

Speaking about this new map, the researchers introduce it as "an egalitarian Earth wall map for schools, organizations, or anyone who needs an image that shows countries and continents in their actual size relative to each other."

It may not be as impressive as a 3D map depicting the entire spherical Earth, but an egalitarian Earth map could prompt schools to introduce our planet in a more vivid and accurate way to the billions of students who attend school.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc-cong-nghe/cac-ban-do-the-gioi-tu-truoc-den-nay-deu-khong-chinh-xac-20241219221608974.htm