truesize

The True Size Of lets you type in the name of any country or state, see the statistics on its true size, and then you can drag it as an overlay and “they’ll dynamically shift to show how big they are relative to each other.”

It’s perfect to help students understand the shortcomings of a Mercator projection.

Coincidentally, today and tomorrow we’re comparing maps and globes in my English Language Learner Geography class, so this site will definitely come in handy.

The quote I used earlier in this post came from a great explanation of the site, and the challenges of a Mercator projection, that appeared on Vox. They also share a fun clip from The West Wing TV show on the issue.

I’m adding “The True Size Of” to The Best Sites For Introducing English Language Learners To Geography.