Good heavens, Mudcat posted before I'd written a single word! Is it haunted???
I find this all extremely fascinating robomatic. I watched your clip, and it's never occurred to me before as significant that most of the Third World countries are indeed 'on the bottom' of the Mercator map (apart from Australasia), which could give rise to ideas about 'superiority' of developed lands.

I've always known the the Mercator distorts the landmasses, but accepted that it was to make the whole thing more accessible.
Africa is indeed much larger than the Mercator would suggest. And one could turn the globe around and put any country at the centre of a map, since the Earth is a sphere. In Victorian times, wealthy families employed governesses who always used 'The Globes' with which to instruct their pupils. This would seem more accurate, but not very practical.
I'm also very interested in your multi-national student accommodation. I'd have been in heaven, as I'm an incurable xenophile.