Distortions exist to create a two dimensional map from a three-dimensional globe

according to Mercator Projection, has a grossly European centrist viewpoint.

18.9 million square miles of the Northern Hemisphere north of the equator is shown much larger than the 38.6 million square miles of the Southern Hemisphere south of the equator.

3.93 million square miles of Europe is shown much larger than the 6.9 million square miles of South America.

0.8 million square miles of Greenland is shown much larger than the 3.7 million square miles of China, which should be about four times the size of Greenland.

0.4 million square miles of Scandinavia is shown dwarfing 1.3 million square miles of India, which should be three times larger than Scandinavia.

0.6 million square miles of Alaska are drawn much larger than 0.7 square miles of Mexico.

8.6 million square miles of the Former USSR is greatly inflated in contrast to the greatly diminished 11.6 million square miles of Africa.

Indonesia’s total land area is 741,052 sq mi. It is hard to see from the map that it is about five times that of Japan’s.