A silly question prompted a fellow blogger, Texas in Africa, to post this pic, developed by Boston University.Of course Africa is a sizable continent and not a country (there is even merchandise to prove it here), but how often do we really ponder the size of this great continent?
I knew from before the relative size of Sweden and Ghana (Sweden is almost twice as large with less than half the population), but it never hit me that Africa as a whole is so vast that Europe, US (including Alaska) and China could fit inside.
I must say this overlay of maps intrigues me.
What are your thoughts when you see it?
12 comments:
I saw the original post, and almost sent it to the whole community at work! BTW I liked the Adichie TED talk, which of course mentions the myth/belief of Africa as a "country"
Kajsa - that is very thought provoking!!! Great visual image. Makes you realise the power Africa harnesses, or could harnesss...Just how important Africa is in the world.
I learned this in University when we learned about map projections. The usual map projections used in books and maps commonly, is totally showing a wrong picture of the world. it shows that Africa is smaller than the US and that India is smaller than Greenland, when its really the other way around. The south loses so it fits into a book.
I can see that my home town in Northen Norway cant fit into Big Africa though.. ;)
@Nina, I should really stop telling you to start your own blog, that would make mine look bland and behind ;-) Ah, and Adichie was why the issue felt so current!
@PO - an image sometimes says more that many, many words. But then again, thats no excuse to stop writing, especially not if it concerns our vast home continent, Mama Africa.
Hmm, I used to think my Geography knowledge was not too bad. Position revised as of yesterday. Great, interesting fact and post.
@Yngvild, your hometown could fit though, if it was cut loose from Norway and puzzled in. But you knew that too, huh...jejeje. How's married life?
@If I have added to the knowledge of a very knowledgeable man, I can today rest! :-)
last comment for Nana Yaw, of course.
Why in the world would anybody be thinking Africa is a country? I am sure, there's a great need for education out there. This is truly thought provoking as [The Pale Observer] said. Nice post. Great work. Let's keep the education coming in.
@MJ, see the TED video I posted for a recent example of someone thinking Africa was a country...but it is outrageous, I agree. See you later.
It is weird sometimes when people who have never been to Africa, see this lovely continent as one country. I was discussing this with a friend yesterday, most people dont know Nigeria or Somalia or Ghana, all they know is, Africa
Married life is fine, thanks for asking! :)
Thanks for this. Next time it would be the basis of my lectures on Africa as a continent and not a country.
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