Question

what best describes the reason africa appears smaller than its real size on the standard mercator and robinson map projections?
figure 5 below.
the maps are 2d and distort countries closer to the polls to look much larger.
africa was made smaller because the map makers were not from africa.
africa was made smaller because it was added later.
the earth is flat and africa is actually a very small continent.

Explanation:

Map projections convert the 3 - D Earth to 2 - D. Mercator and Robinson projections have size - related distortions. Areas near poles (like Greenland) are enlarged, making equatorial regions (like Africa) seem relatively smaller. The first option correctly addresses the 2D distortion issue. The second option about map - makers' origin is baseless. The third option of being "added later" has no factual basis. The fourth option is wrong as the Earth is spherical, not flat.

Answer:

The maps are 2D and distort countries closer to the polls to look much larger.