Earth is round; however, flat paper maps are rectangular. When converting a round object to a flat surface, distortion is unavoidable. That means that cartographers have to decide which aspects of the ...

To the casual observer glancing at a flight tracking map, the path of a long-haul jet often looks like a bizarre, unnecessary ...

Maps shape our understanding of the world – and in an increasingly interconnected and global economy, this geographic knowledge is more important than ever. The funny thing is, almost everyone ...

Most common world maps are highly size distorted, with any land masses located toward the poles tending to look much bigger than they really are, which, in some ways, makes this weird-looking ...

You’re going to need some double-sided tape. By Joshua Sokol Most of the world maps you’ve seen in your life are past their prime. The Mercator was devised by a Flemish cartographer in 1569. The ...

Cartographers rely on the authority of maps to communicate locations, guide navigation at sea, and shape people’s perceptions of Earth. However, because all flat maps have compromises built into them, ...