Levon Azizyan, director of the Center for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring, SNCO, wrote on his Facebook page:
"Russia seems much wider than Africa, but in reality, Africa is huge. All this is due to the Mercator projection, a 16th-century cartographic method that was useful for navigation, but has a serious drawback: it distorts dimensions, especially near the poles.
Thus, Russia, Canada, and Greenland appear huge on maps, while Africa, South America, and South Asia appear small. In reality, Africa is approximately 14 times larger than Greenland, and its area is larger than that of China, the United States, India, and all of Europe combined.
Thus, maps are not just neutral images, but interpretations. Modern cartographers offer alternative projections, such as the Gall-Peters projection, which more accurately represent the proper proportions. One thing is sure: Africa is the "hidden giant" of the planet.
