A political map is a map that shows lines defining countries, states or territories. It is unlike other maps in that its purpose is to show borders. A political map also makes a deliberate political statement about which areas of the earth belong to a country or state.

Cartography in the past has been subject to certain accusations. Sometimes map projections, two-dimensional or paper maps made from globes, err in showing the size of countries. This can be a deliberate misuse which actually causing a political map to be more “political” if it diminishes the size of a rival country.

A fictional example occurred on the TV show The West Wing, when the made up group the Cartographers for Social Equality showed how the most common political map in use in the US actually shows glaring inaccuracy in size of countries outside the US. Though the group was fictional, the errors were not.

The traditional political map projection in US textbooks is incorrect in its assessment of size. Notably, Africa looks to be about the same size as Greenland, where it is in fact over ten times as large. As well the areas that account for the US are shown to be similar in size to the former Soviet Union and China combined. This is again inaccurate.

Part of the error in this type of political map is due to an attempt to enlarge things farther from the equator. A new system, called the Gall-Peter map has been proposed which significantly changes size ratio and makes it more accurate. This map is less politically charged, though still relatively uncommon.

If one is unused to looking at a political map of the Gall-Peter type, it may simply appear wrong. North and South America look much smaller and less wide. Asia, by comparison looks enormous. Africa is also significantly larger.

Some argue that a change to a Gall-Peter political map might contribute to a more socially conscious view of the world, and especially of the United States' place in it. Since this political map makes the US smaller and Africa much larger for example, it can give a sense as to they monumental catastrophe inherent in an African population significantly affected by poverty or AIDs.

Such a map does not allow one to dismiss countries in Africa as tiny, but rather asserts they are huge, and hugely populated. In this way, the Gall-Peter political map may help depoliticize past views of the world, especially when such views are nationalist or imperialist. Though the map can still be a political map according to its strict definition, it may not carry the political overtones of previous maps.