Hey @humanearl, thanks for dropping by and supporting my work!

This reduction in size is also known as spatial distortion and is caused by the cartographic projection utilized in order to depict a 3D object on a 2D surface. The reference parallel is situated North of Africa in most global map projections, thus the shape of Africa is gradually distorted as we move away from the Equator towards the South. The map scale makes sure all measurements are precise; it's just that the scale changes according to location.

Cartography is one of the scientific fields I've studied in order to get my Rural & Surveying Engineering Master's Degree.

Thank you!