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| - For years, a map of the US allegedly showing what will happen to the country if "we don't reverse climate change" has spread across social media.
The map shows a body of water stretching from California to North Carolina overlaid on a map of the continental U.S. showing much of the nation underwater. We found posts repeating the claim, with the map attached, on social media platforms like Facebook, Reddit and X.
Snopes previously fact-checked this meme, which we determined originated as a thought experiment created by an architect after he visited the Mediterranean. Because the map was really not created by scientists, nor for the purpose of warning the public about the effects of unmitigated climate change, we've rated these claims "False."
A reverse image search revealed a post on Pinterest that also featured the map, in this case crediting it to Bret Drager and titled, "The Mediterranean Sea of America."
Snopes conducted a Google keyword search and found that it was first posted on Feb. 4, 2014, to a blog on the architectural website Drager Architecture. A description that accompanied the map read, in part:
I had the pleasure of taking a cruise around the Mediterranean a few years ago. My wife and I had such a great time exploring the historical places and artifacts and the life of strange cities. I thought, wouldn't it be great if the Mediterranean wasn't so far away?
Well, I was examining maps and globes and realized that the Mediterranean Sea is at the same Latitude as the United States. If only it were possible to rotate the Mediterranean Sea around to our side of the planet? Would it fit? What effect would this have? What about the states… new coastlines in the middle of the country… new relationships… states torn in pieces?
A couple of screen captures, lots of graphic manipulation and now we know. The Mediterranean Sea fits within the confines of the United States of America. In a way, it is pretty amazing how big the Mediterranean Sea is. We always think if the United States as a vast country, more than 3000 miles from east coast to west coast. It used to be quite a task to traverse that distance. Amazingly, ancient mariners of the Mediterranean traversed similar vast areas of water for their commerce, and conquests.
So, what have we done? This is a new vision of the United States of America. A few states have been unaffected by this mash-up. Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Main and Florida. Yes, I am ignoring Alaska and Hawaii since they are remote, sorry.
Zooming in for a closer look, Snopes also determined that a text laid over the body of water clearly stated, "Mediterranean Sea of America."
(X Screengrab/@SirajAHashmi)
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the map shared on X and a screenshot of the Mediterranean Sea taken from Google Earth. Most noticeable is the "boot" of Italy central in both images.
(Screengrab X/@SirajAHashmi and Google Earth)
Besides Snopes, other fact-checking organizations that have debunked the meme include USA Today, FactCheck.org, and AP News.
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