“Map projections are just different ways of translating the dimensions of a globe onto a two dimensional surface. A sphere (or oblate spheriod, if you want to be fancy) can’t be flattened without causing some kind of distortion, be it in scale, area, distance and/or direction.”
The controversy surrounding world maps is “entirely real,” and here is a crucial piece to get up to speed on the debate. A cartographer walks us through the main projection methods, revealing what each preserves and distorts. We are also introduced to some unorthodox projections: one in which the equator is represented as a square and an adorable one that maps the world in the shape of a heart!
