I imagine most of us are accustomed to seeing a maps of the world that look, more or less, like the one below. I was well into my adult years before I realized just how much larger Africa is than the United States (more than 3 times the size, including Alaska).  Africa is almost 14 times the size of Greenland!  Russia is little more than 1/2 the size of African.  Mexico is bigger than Alaska.  

 

Obviously none of these facts could be discerned from the maps we normally see.

 

Anthony T. Browder in his documentary film, Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization (at the 7:30 mark), based upon his book of the same name, offers reasons for the distorted world map, as well as why Egypt, is in the "Middle East."

 

The so called third world is entirely, diminished in relative size, for no apparent reason, other than perhaps to diminish them in significance.

 

 

Here is a better representation: Gall–Peters projection According to Wikipedia is is commonly used in British schools

 

 

The African continent can encompass all of the continental US, India, Western Europe, and China with room to spare!

 

Here is a funny video that illustrates the point 

 

 

 

Notice the center of this map is the intersection of the Prime Meridian (another arbitrary point favoring the British who created it) and the equator.

But you can't do that... cause it's freaking me out. 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very good find Troy. Consider this one shared immediately.

Yeah it does freak people out when they are forced to view something from different perspective--even if that perspective is true and the previously held one is false.  

 

The idea of flipping the map flipped me out too.  I know the orientation we are accustomed to seeing is arbitrary, or rather designed to highlight America, but still, I know it would be hard for me to get used to the opposite orientation.

 

There is an interest show on Freakonomics which discusses getting rid of bad ideas: http://freakonomics.com/2015/03/05/this-idea-must-die-full-transcript/ you can download the pod cast from itunes.  

 

For example, the idea that people are "left-brained" or "right brained" is scientifically false.  However the misconception persists and we even come up with educational techniques based upon the falsehood.

 

But bad ideas, like the idea of race and the apparent inferiority of so the so called "Black Race" die hard.

Mother Africa is awesome. I learn something new every day, but an ongoing lesson for me is that Life is an exercise in deception and misinformation and, above all, mystery. There's  a big difference between the way things actually are and the way they are reported and portrayed and incapsulated by various means of communication.  Add to that, how differently things are interpreted and perceived by the individual and there is yet another hurdle in the search for the truth. Or does language adequately facilitate because it is difficult to capture what words cannot express.  I am growing world weary because I can't figure things out. Is my existence something I am dreaming?   Am I in limbo, waiting to wake up? Are the answers contained within the questions??  

 

In the sanctuary of my solitude, I ask myself if "life is a journey that is  homeward bound?"  Or is "life the question and love the answer"? And should I consider that "no man is an island entire of himself". and should I "ask not for whom the bell tolls, because it tolls for me"?. And is "this above all to thine ownelf be true"a  snippet of advice that's "all you know, and all you need to know?"  I wonder.    

The almighty cliche... another bastion of misinformation and half truths. It is just too hard and tiring to analyze all of the problems. I say, do you. That is the most powerful bit of info that I think exists. I would add, "without malice" to that though. "Do you without malice or ill intent towards your fellow man." I guess that's just the golden rule though isn't it?

Humm.  A good example, Chris, of how people interpret things differently.  The quotations I cited in bold letters didn't represent "cliches" to me.  They were ideas that kinda resonated with me.  

 

There is one phrase that has impacted on my life, not necessarily for the good, because it inhibited my being a risk taker. A little voice in my head would always prevent me from taking a big chance by saying,  "yeah, but what if..." 

I think that is the voice in everyone's head. I just tend to ignore it and do stuff. Sometimes it's pretty dumb stuff, but I think I'm on the right path. As far as the map thing, it's another one that will never happen.

I not holding my breath waiting for a more accurate visual representation on the world on maps. Besides, 90% of the world lives in the northern hemisphere; the folks in the south are too few to be concerned with.

I stumbled across this map used by Chinese school children and it reminded me of this conversation.  I guess the Chinese have highlighted the portions of the Earth they own.

Looks about right, but they also own a considerable amount of Africa now as well.