World maps — how they look in different countries

The maps of the world that we see since childhood — especially those that are shown to us at school — form our idea of how the world works. There would be nothing wrong with this if we did not forget that a flat map is just a conditional and distorted representation of a round world.

However, many of us transfer the stereotypes learned through the map to a personal attitude to the real world. We are beginning to believe that there are countries that play a dominant role in the world, are in its center, and there are those that play a subordinate role, are on its periphery.

As will be seen below, in different countries — Russia, Europe, USA, China, Australia, Chile, South Africa — the world maps are very different. It all depends on what the map author chooses in each of the following three conditions: 1) how to center the map relative to West and East; 2) how to center the map relative to North and South; 3) what projection method to use.

1. World map for Russia

The vertical axis of the world (centering West and East) passes through Moscow. Both America and Australia find themselves on the periphery of the world. The Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space.

2. World Map for Europe

The vertical axis of the world passes through London. As for the Russian map, here both America and Australia find themselves on the periphery of the world, and the Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space. In addition, the equator (centering the North and South) is shifted to the lower half of the map, which makes Africa, South America and Australia smaller in relation to North America and Eurasia than it actually is.

3. World map for the USA

The vertical axis of the world passes through the USA. America turns out to be an "island" washed by the Pacific Ocean from the west and the Atlantic Ocean from the east. As in the European map, here the equator is shifted to the lower half of the map, which makes the size of North America and Eurasia much larger in relation to the size of South America, Africa and Australia than in reality. In addition, the perception of Russia, India and China is becoming more complicated for the American: these countries are present for the American twice — in the west and in the east.

4. World Map for China

China on its map is located on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. All continents have access to this ocean, except Africa and Europe, which thus find themselves on the periphery of the world.

5. World Map for Australia

There is a general stereotype that what is above dominates, and what is below is in a subordinate position. Australians not only draw the vertical axis of the world through their continent, but also place it on top of all others, turning the map 180 degrees. Like the USA, they turn out to be an island lying between three oceans: Pacific, Indian and Southern. Antarctica, hidden at the very bottom on all other maps, also begins to play an important role.

6. World Map for South Africa

South Africa, like Australia, turns out to be at the top, not at the bottom of the map, which makes it perceived as a country dominating all others. South Africa turns out to be a peninsula wedged between two oceans: the Indian and the Atlantic. The Pacific region and Russia are moving to the periphery of the world.

7. World Map for Chile

This world map was developed by order of the Military Geographical Institute with the aim of further implementation in school textbooks. Similarly to the Australian map, this one is also inverted, thanks to which Chile immediately occupies a dominant position in the world. The Pacific Ocean is in the center of the map, and this is directly related to the voiced policy of modern Chile, which wants to become one of the important business centers in the Pacific region. In this regard, Chile is somewhat similar to China. Similarly, Africa and Europe find themselves on the periphery of the world.