Folium: The True Size of Africa via Kai Krause

Posted by LEAF Architect on Monday, October 1, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Folium: The True Size of Africa via Kai Krause

“To put a city in a book, to put the world on one sheet of paper — maps are the most condensed humanized spaces of all…They make the landscape fit indoors, make us masters of sights we can’t see and spaces we can’t cover.” – Robert Harbison, Eccentric Spaces

Is it enough to say that Africa is big? Really big! As a moderately well-informed linguist, I must believe in the potential of language to convey the gravity of the statement, but dude, Africa is just freaking huge!

So, if you haven’t done so already, go on and take a look for yourself. Thankfully, I defer my lesser skills in phrasing to the power of the infographic provided by Kai Krause.

Folium: The True Size of Africa via Kai Krause

http://i.imgur.com/DPHhE.gif

There are many things in life, both philosophically and physically, that are governed by perspective. We think we have a good grasp on our own point of view until something comes along and shakes up our understanding, forcing us to replace it with something more up to date and usually, more precise.

I’m sure that most people don’t ponder upon the size of the African landmass in their free time, and I expect even less ruminate upon the impact of cartographic realizations. But here’s the point…

There are a lot of places you’ve never been. Now, nobody can blame you for never going to these places, but nevertheless there it is. A continent full of countries, cities, and people with hopes, dreams, and ideas. It is my hope that looking out this far into the world will also open your understanding into the scope of your own neighborhood. Turning macro into micro, so to speak. Most won’t venture into the far reaches of Africa, but nobody says that you can’t start small.

There’s a big world out there, and you can get started by exploring your own backyard. Use services like Google Maps or Bing to explore the areas around your house, then get out and see it for yourself. Start small, think big!

Where do you think you’ll go first? Let us know in the comments below!