15 overlay maps that will change the way you see the world

Wikimedia Commons

The traditional Mercator projection

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.