Every map of the world that you have ever seen is inaccurate. Well, of course, you might think. How could they map out the world when it’s round, not flat? True. But that isn’t the point.

Maps of the world come in many shapes and sizes. Navigational and road maps help you get from place to place; topographical ...

Flat, two-dimensional maps can look different because the world is actually curved. This means map-makers need to make compromises when drawing maps. These different map representations are called ...