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Every map makes an argument
A map is a selective model of the world, not a neutral copy of it.
The idea
Mapmakers choose projection, scale, boundaries, labels, and what to exclude. Those choices affect which places appear central, large, connected, or important.
An example
The Mercator projection preserves direction for navigation but greatly enlarges landmasses near the poles.
Put it into practice
Before trusting a map, ask what purpose it was designed to serve and what its design distorts.
Test yourself: Why is a map never completely neutral?
It selects and distorts information for a purpose
Exactly. Projection, scale, labels, and omissions all shape the story a map tells.
Explanation and illustrative examples by One Card Wiser. Source linked for further reading.
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