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Mercator World Map
Geradus Mercator's world maps flattened the spherical planet to make it easier to display. Displays of the landmasses are not necessarily proportional to their actual size, especially toward the poles. Despite these distortions, his maps are still in heavy use. Though Mercator is best known for his cylindrical maps, he created various map types, like this spherical map.
Image by Mary Evans/Science Source
