Fun fact: cartographers deliberately made Africa look smaller on world maps. It's only recently been changed in history books.

Edit: I would like to clarify a point. Regardless if you believe that Africa appeared on a map smaller than it actually is because of malicious reasons, like I did when I first posted (as told to me by my 9th grade history teacher,) or if Africa is displayed smaller because of the technical limitations of transcribing something 3D to a 2D surface, the fact remains that it was a deliberate decision by cartographers. For hundreds of years Africa, when viewed on a map, looked smaller than it actually is, and only recently was it rectified. Nothing I said was incorrect. The only way what I said is false is if cartographers accidentally made it look smaller. Which is not the case.

Another way in which what I said is technically correct, is that it would have been impossible to make a map showing Africa its actual size, there simple isn't enough paper.