Why do all world maps have some distortion?

All world maps must have some degree of distortion because they represent the Earth’s curved, three-dimensional surface on a flat, two-dimensional plane.12

It is physically impossible to flatten a sphere without stretching, tearing, or compressing its surface. Consequently, when cartographers create a map projection—a systematic method of transferring meridians and parallels from a globe to a flat surface—they must choose which properties to preserve, such as shape, area, distance, or direction.2

Because no single projection can maintain all these properties simultaneously, every flat map inevitably sacrifices accuracy in one or more areas. For example, the widely used Mercator projection preserves angles and directions, making it useful for navigation, but it causes significant size distortion in higher latitudes, where landmasses appear disproportionately large compared to those near the Equator. Only a globe can represent the Earth’s shapes and areas with true fidelity.213