The main problem is that the earth is approximately spherical and therefore maps covering large areas suffers from distortions due to projection from 3-D to 2-D.
Planar projection
distortion
distortion
Itself
For maps, it's usually a projection.
Distortion
Distortion
Distortion
Earth is three-dimensional, but maps are two-dimensional.
You guys are f*cking idiots if you don't know this end of story
Maps covering a large area suffer from "barrel distortion". In the usual layout of maps, East-West distances are compressed near the equator and exaggerated as you move towards the poles.
A three dimensional map of terrain is called a raised relief map.
Elevations (heights) are not easily represented.
Maps being two-dimensional can lead to distortions in representing the Earth's three-dimensional surface, affecting the accuracy of distances, areas, and shapes. This limitation can mislead users, especially in applications like navigation or land use planning, where precise spatial relationships are critical. Additionally, important features like elevation and terrain are not adequately conveyed, potentially oversimplifying complex geographical realities.
Planar projection
Two-dimensional maps of Earth have distortions because they attempt to represent a three-dimensional surface (the Earth) on a flat plane. This distortion occurs due to the challenge of converting a curved surface onto a flat surface. Different map projections have different advantages and trade-offs in terms of preserving features like shape, area, distance, or direction.
such a map is a three dimensional representation of the terrain