This Free Website Turns Google Maps Into a Time Machine
A new tool called Pastmaps lets you explore any city street as it looked decades or even centuries ago. History has never been this accessible or fun.
Maps — Good News & Uplifting Stories
Read the latest positive news, breakthroughs, and inspiring stories about maps, curated daily by BrightWire.
8 stories tagged with "Maps"
UN Backs Equal Earth Map Showing Africa's True Size
The United Nations voted 164-1 to adopt map projections that accurately show Africa's real size, ending centuries of visual distortion. African nations are reclaiming their stories through education reforms and campaigns challenging outdated stereotypes.
164 Nations End 450-Year Map Error Shrinking Africa
For over four centuries, classroom maps have shown Greenland and Africa as roughly the same size, even though Africa is actually 14 times larger. Last week, 164 countries voted to finally fix this geographic distortion that's shaped how we see the world since 1569.
%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Ftf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffiler_public%2F6c%2Fcd%2F6ccd5e01-e02d-493d-afe2-b75b33883c4e%2Fsmithsonian_feature_images_22.png)
UN Backs Maps That Show Africa's True Size
The United Nations voted 164 to 1 to encourage the world to adopt maps that accurately show Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland. The move aims to correct centuries of distortion that diminished how the continent is perceived globally.
UN Votes to Show Africa's True Size on World Maps
For 450 years, the world's most popular map has shrunk Africa to look smaller than it really is. The United Nations just voted to fix that distortion and show the continent at its actual massive size.
UN Votes 164-1 to Fix Maps That Shrink Africa
The United Nations just voted overwhelmingly to encourage the world to stop using centuries-old maps that make Africa look far smaller than it really is. It's a simple change with profound meaning: helping us see the world as it truly is.
Founder Turns Down VC Money, Builds Thriving Map Site
Craig Campbell rejected a "blank check" from AI-obsessed investors to build something radically different: a simple website for exploring historical maps. Three years later, his bet on the old-school web is paying off.
Africa Pushes UN to Adopt Map Showing Its True Size
Togo is leading an effort to replace the 450-year-old Mercator map at the UN, which makes Africa look much smaller than it actually is. The African Union-backed campaign aims to correct how the continent is viewed worldwide.