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Today, the United Nations voted to adopt a new world map that reflects countries’ true relative sizes (europe.pub)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by to c/mildlyinteresting@lemmy.world
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https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/04/world/un-vote-new-world-map-intl-scli

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[–] 46 points 2 months ago (12 children)

Mercator is bad as a world map, but the reason why it's used on most online maps is that those online maps are usually used as local maps, where Mercator is a very good projection. It would be good if online maps switched projections if you zoomed out beyond a certain level.

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  • [–] 16 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    Not on iOS anymore but when you zoomed out on Apple Maps it became a globe. Not sure if that's still true or I remember incorrectly and am confused with a 3rd party map, but that would be best on screens imo.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    The web maps I create I use different projection systems for different zoom levels. Mercator is the best we got globally, that’s why it’s lasted since the 1540’s. Usually as you get closer you should be using a state plane PCS. It’s not survey level of course but most maps are based on close enough unless it’s a survey map done by a licensed professional.

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  • [–] 0 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    You make maps? I've been looking for halfway decent maps.

    But they all look like hot garbage on a purely aesthetic level. Maybe that is entirely subjective, but the best world map (that can be switched to 3D too) is this ArcGIS NatGEO one. Other maps also have problems like showing names of countries and cities in their original, completely indecipherable language making them useless. I'd absolutely love some kind of open streetmap based PRETTY world map in English and that can switch different projections. And show things like the fucking equator. I mean how hard can THAT be? But every time I want to look at a map or globe I have to wait for the images to download for the 100th time instead of being cached because there is no (open source) map app for windows.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    Yeah I’m a GIS specialist I make maps both on the computer using a spatial database or web maps that are viewable to the public. You would have to use QGIS since ARC GIS is expensive as hell. But you could probably put together something similar to what you’re discussing here. Let me see if I can find something similar to what you’re talking about but most of the time we make maps to show things. You’re basically wanting just a base map which you can probably make yourself on mapbox.com and import it into qgis make labels English.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

    Apple maps (probably one of the most widely used digital maps, whether you like it or not) switches to a spherical projection as you zoom out. I'm actually surprised google maps doesn't do the same.

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