What kinds of distortion can occur when Earth is shown on a flat map?

Because the Earth is a sphere, it is mathematically impossible to represent its surface on a flat map without some degree of distortion. Only a globe can represent shapes and areas with true fidelity.12

When projecting the Earth onto a flat surface, cartographers must choose which properties to preserve, as they cannot maintain all of them simultaneously. The primary types of distortion include:

• Size (Area) Distortion: Many projections, such as the Mercator projection, sacrifice accurate scale to maintain other features. This often results in landmasses appearing disproportionately large as they move further from the Equator.13
• Shape Distortion: While some maps are conformal—meaning they preserve the shapes of small areas—others distort the actual geometry of continents and regions to fit the flat plane.2
• Distance and Direction: Depending on the projection, distances and directions may only be accurate from specific points or along certain lines. For example, an Azimuthal Equidistant projection is only accurate for measurements taken from its central point.2

Cartographers minimize these effects by selecting specific projections tailored to the map's intended purpose, such as navigation or regional analysis.12