World maps - what they look like in different countries

The maps of the world that we see from childhood - especially those shown to us in school - shape our understanding 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 our personal attitude towards the real world. We begin to believe that there are countries that play a dominant role in the world, located at its center, and there are those that play a subordinate role, located on its periphery.

As will be seen below, in different countries - Russia, Europe, the USA, China, Australia, Chile, South Africa - 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 the West and the East) passes through Moscow. Both America and Australia find themselves on the periphery of the world. The Pacific Ocean is not perceived as a coherent space.

2. World map for Europe

The vertical axis of the world passes through London. As with the Russian map, in this case both America and Australia find themselves on the periphery of the world, and the Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space. Additionally, the equator (centering Server and South) is shifted to the bottom half of the map, making Africa, South America, and Australia appear smaller in relation to North America and Eurasia than they actually are.

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, in this case 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 sizes of South America, Africa and Australia than in reality. In addition, for an American, the perception of Russia, India and China becomes more complicated: these countries are present to an American twice - in the west and in the east.

4. World map for China

On its map, China is located on the western coast 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 United States, they find themselves as an island lying between three oceans: the Pacific, Indian and Southern. Antarctica, hidden at the very bottom on all other maps, is beginning to play another important role.

6. World map for South Africa

South Africa, like Australia, appears at the top rather than at the bottom of the map, which makes it perceived as a country that dominates all others. South Africa turns out to be a peninsula wedged between two oceans: the Indian and 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. Similar to the Australian map, this one is also upside down, giving Chile an immediate dominant position in the world. The Pacific Ocean is in the center of the map, and this is directly related to the stated 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. In the same way, Africa and Europe find themselves on the periphery of the world.