Cartographers have unveiled a new map of the world which shows the size of the continents more accurately. The new projection is called Equal Earth and is designed to represent the relative sizes of the different land areas without sacrificing a ‘visually pleasing and balanced’ aesthetic. While Europe and the United States appear smaller than on the Mercator projection map we’re used to seeing in school geography classes, The well-known map exaggerated the size of the imperialist powers and highlighted colonial trade routes. The Mercator Projection, created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, shows the northern hemisphere enlarged in size with North America and Europe larger than South America and Africa.