eli5 if maps are inaccurate because we can’t project spheres on 2d planes. what happens if we actually decide to map the earth “by hand”?

Question

Like let’s say that we start on the cape of goodwill for example and follow the coast.

Represent each 1km with 1mm for example on our map (map size isn’t a problem just for the sake of the argument). Getting the directions of drawing off a compass exactly. And just walk around all the coasts of the world.

What type of map do we end up with in this hypothetical?

In: 5

Answer 1

If I’m reading you right, I think what you might end up with is something like an interrupted pseudocylindrical projection

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goode_homolosine_projection

If you accurately measure and draw everything to scale, then once you arrived “back” at the Cape of Good Hope, where you finished on the map would be wayyyyy off from where you started. You’d be sacrificing direction and orientation in favor of scale, and the only alternative would be to sacrifice scale in favor of direction/orientation.