Title: The Deceptive Size of Greenland: A Tale of Maps and Projections In recent news, President Trump has expressed interest in annexing Greenland, the semi-autonomous Arctic island that is a territory of Denmark. This strategic move would give the U.S. a significant advantage for defense purposes due to its location between North America and Russia. However, before we dive into the political implications of this potential acquisition, let’s first address an interesting aspect of Greenland – its size. Greenland is known as the world’s largest island, covering more than 836,000 square miles. But what if I told you that the size of Greenland on a map might not be entirely accurate? It turns out that the representation of Greenland depends largely on the type of map used to depict it. Globes offer an almost perfect picture of Earth’s geography, but when we try to represent this three-dimensional sphere on a two-dimensional surface, things get complicated. The shapes and sizes of land masses can become distorted, leading to misleading distances and directions. There are various types of world maps available, each with its strengths and weaknesses. One such map type is the Mercator projection, invented by 16th-century Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator. This popular map format takes Earth’s latitudes and longitudes (parallels and meridians) – which curve around the spherical globe – and makes them straight lines. While this allowed sailors to plot a course between any two points using a straight line, it also resulted in significant distortions on the map, especially as you move further away from the equator. So why does all of this matter? Well, understanding how maps represent our world is crucial for making informed decisions about global issues like climate change, resource allocation, and political boundaries. In the case of Greenland, knowing that its size may be deceptive on certain types of maps could have significant implications if it were to become a part of the United States or any other country. In conclusion, while President Trump’s interest in annexing Greenland is certainly newsworthy, let us not forget the importance of understanding how our world is represented through various mapping techniques. The size and shape of countries like Greenland can vary greatly depending on which map you consult, so it pays to be aware of these differences when making important decisions about our planet’s future.
Source: [Original Article](https://www.npr.org/2026/01/07/nx-s1-5668482/greenland-mercator-map-size-distortion)
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