What you see is what you get...or is it?

My family has been talking recently about maps of the world. Since Mercator published his map, the Western world (at least) has relied on a variety of maps, none of which really explain the whole thing. It all started when we watched an episode of The West Wing, in which a group of geographers tried to make the US commit to using an updated map projection.

Here's an interesting website by Peter H. Dana from the U. of Colorado. Professor Dana explores the variety of world maps and their uses.

The United States Geological Survey has a good site, too.