Globes are models of the Earth that accurately show the shapes and locations of landmasses and bodies of water. They depict lines of latitude and longitude that form a grid system and allow any place on Earth to be precisely located. While globes are accurate, they are not practical to carry or show detail. Map projections, like the Mercator and Robinson, were developed to show the spherical Earth on a flat surface, but inevitably distort some aspects of size, shape, or direction.