One of the original challenges facing mapmakers—and one of the unavoidable sources of distortion in cartography—is the problem of taking a round globe and turning it into a flat map.

Earth is spherical, or ball-shaped. Most maps are flat.

Creating a map of a small area might be relatively easy; making a flat map of the full Earth, however, is a completely different challenge. Cartographers (mapmakers) have found various ways to create flat maps of the world. These are called projections.

My struggle to make a flat map out of the plastic globe is indicative of a challenge mapmakers have faced for centuries: It is mathematically impossible to translate the surface of a sphere onto a plane without some form of distortion.

The biggest downfall of the AuthaGraph map is that longitude and latitude lines are no longer a tidy grid. As well, continents on the map are repositioned in a way that will be unfamiliar to a population that is already geographically challenged.

The problems with globes are as follows: 1- Only 1/2 of the world can be seen at any given moment. 2-Only the spot at the center of the spherical surface area of the earth globe is seen without distortion. 3- One has to rotate the globe or move to be able to observe any desired spot on the earth.

When talking of accuracy, a globe is more accurate than the map. A map presents the physical features of a particular region of the earth on a plane surface. A globe can be called as a duplicate earth. It is round in shape and shows accurate areas, distances, directions and relative shape and size.

Accuracy, Decoration, Interaction Continents on a world globe are accurately sized and proportional to one another. Their relative size and distance are correct, whereas maps inevitably contain some level of distortion. When it comes to geography, the world globe is superior to maps.

Globes

ellipsoid

A globe is the only “true” map of the world because there is no distortion in relationships of areas, directions, or distances. The actual flattening of the true earth at its poles and “fattening” around the equator are such small, real distortions that they don’t appear at the scale of most globes.

– A map is a good model of the Earth because it can show more detail and smaller objects than a globe. – A map is easier and more convenient to carry around than a globe. A map is not a good model of the Earth because it is not the same shape as the Earth, so objects are distorted when they are flattened out.

It’s because the Earth is a sphere, and paper is flat. Because a sphere has no corners, it can’t accurately be “unfolded” and portrayed, in its entirety, on a piece of paper.

We cannot draw a accurate map because the actual map is drawn on scale. It is not possible to draw a accurate map because map is a representation of earth or a part of it on a flat surface and it is impossible to flatten a round shape completely. we cannot draw a accurate map because the actual map is drawn on scale .

It is because there is a turning angle of 90 degrees even in the real place where “It turns 90 degrees on the left side looking” on the map is shown. On the other hand,National GeographicWe adopt the map projected by the method called “Winkel projection” because “size and shape are accurate”.

A Representation, Not a Mirror The fact that maps distort reality cannot be denied. It is absolutely impossible to depict a round earth on a flat surface without sacrificing at least some accuracy. In fact, a map can only be accurate in one of four domains: shape, area, distance, or direction.

Locations aren’t the only way our mental maps can be wrong; we also have misconceptions about the relative size of things. This may be due in part to the nature of two-dimensional maps. Flattening a three-dimensional globe onto a flat surface isn’t possible without some distortion.

There are four basic characteristics of a map that are distorted to some degree, depending on the map projection used. These characteristics include distance, direction, shape, and area.

The world map you are probably familiar with is called the Mercator projection (below), which was developed all the way back in 1569 and greatly distorts the relative areas of land masses. It makes Africa look tiny, and Greenland and Russia appear huge.

Mercator projection, type of map projection introduced in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator. This projection is widely used for navigation charts, because any straight line on a Mercator projection map is a line of constant true bearing that enables a navigator to plot a straight-line course.

Disadvantages: Mercator projection distorts the size of objects as the latitude increases from the Equator to the poles, where the scale becomes infinite. So, for example, Greenland and Antarctica appear much larger relative to land masses near the equator than they actually are.

Mercator

• Pros: Sailors loved it; preserves angles and directions in a small area.
• Cons: Bad for understanding the real size and shape of continents and countries.
• Related: After this video you’ll never trust a map again.
• Pros: The only ‘area-correct’ map of its time; got featured in The West Wing (S2E16)

In Mercator maps, the Earth’s surface is projected on a cylinder that surrounds the globe (Fig. 4). The cylinder is then unrolled to produce a flat map that preserves the shapes of landmasses but tends to stretch countries towards the poles. This is why the size of Greenland is exaggerated in many world maps.

According to the team’s rating system, the top-rated flat map projection is the Winkel Tripel, a map that originated in 1921, when German cartographer Oswald Winkel proposed it, and which the National Geographic Society now uses.

Imago Mundi

The basic versions of all are free, although many of them offer premium features for a monthly or yearly fee.

• Google Maps. The granddaddy of GPS navigation options.
• Waze. This app stands apart due to its crowd-sourced traffic information.
• MapQuest.
• Maps.Me.
• Scout GPS.
• InRoute Route Planner.
• Apple Maps.
• MapFactor.

Bing Maps has all of the same features you’ll find in Google Maps, including road, aerial, and streetside layers, as well as transit and walking maps in addition to driving. How Bing Maps is better than Google Maps: Maps are extremely detailed with multiple layers available.

Waze is community-based, Google Maps is more data-based. Waze is pretty much just for cars, Google Maps offers walking, driving, biking, and public transportation directions. Google Maps uses a traditional navigation interface, while Waze offers a sleek and minimal interface using the latest in design language.

The Best Free Driving Directions and Map Websites and Apps

• 01 of 06. Google Maps. Alquiler de Coches @reservasdecoches.
• 02 of 06. Apple Maps. Iain Masterton / Getty Images.
• 03 of 06. Waze.
• 04 of 06. MapQuest.
• Continue to 5 of 6 below.
• 05 of 06. AAA Driving Directions.
• 06 of 06. Rand McNally Online Driving Directions.