map projection

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun cartography any systematic method of transforming the spherical representation of parallels, meridians and geographic features of the Earth's surface to a nonspherical surface, usually a plane

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a projection of the globe onto a flat map using a grid of lines of latitude and longitude