The West Wing video

    In class last week, we watched part of The West Wing, and since Mr.Schick wasn't in class today we had to re watch it. In that clip the cartographers wanted to change from the Mercator map to the Peters Projection map. Some points that the cartographers made are the Mercator map is not accurate because the map is bigger at the poles. Also, that the longitude and latitude lines are straight up and down. This map distorts and changes the sizes of nations and continents. Yes these are all valid points. I agree with these point for many reasons. One, earth isn't flat so longitude and latitude can never be a perfect line either vertical or horizontal. Also because in real life and on Earth Greenland is 14 times smaller then Africa, but on the Mercator map, Greenland appears to be the same size as Africa. Plus, Alaska looks 3 times bigger then Mexico on the Mercator map, but in real life/ Earth by .1 million square miles, Mexico is bigger. All of these accurate points appear to be right and to scale on the Peters Projection map, and that is why the cartographers want to change maps in the schools.