What lasting impact did the 1569 Mercator World Map have on people's image of the world?

http://www.google.com/search?q=1569+Mercator+World+Map&oq=1569+Mercator+World+Map&aqs=chrome..69i57.1943j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8

Be sure to read several of these articles ... and then let us know what you decide.