A Zero Declination World Map

Published on by Jonathan Crowe
Bad Map Projection #216: Zero Declination. A world map in cylindrical projection distorted so that up is magnetic north. (Randall Munroe, xkcd, 13 Feb 2026.)
Randall Munroe, “Bad Map Projection: Zero Declination,” xkcd, 13 Feb 2026.

The Bad Map Projection series of xkcd cartoons are mischievous and brain-melting but often as not come with a kernel of truth. Last Friday’s is a case of geomagnetorectification, distorting the map to line up true north with magnetic north. Is it wrong that I think it’s more interesting than brain-melting?