World History Maps provides interactive and static historical maps with a searchable archive.
Map Myths
Map Myths explores phantom geographic features through an interactive collection of historical maps.
About Map Myths
Map Myths is an interactive atlas of cartographic errors: phantom or speculative geographical features such as cities, islands, mountain ranges and seas that appeared on historical maps. The map organizes myths by tags describing their likely origin, including speculative features based on faulty logic or indirect observations, invented features taken from fictional accounts or created to deceive, duplicate islands caused by poor ship-position recording, and mistaken lands such as icebergs or mirages. Users can explore the map, jump to a random myth, rotate the map by keyboard, use full-screen mode, zoom to full extent, and right-click or long-press for latitude and longitude coordinates. It is a web-based resource in English; cookies and similar technologies are used for certain features and traffic analysis, with a linked privacy policy.
Key features
- Interactive map of phantom or speculative geographic features
- Tag-based browsing by type of cartographic myth
- Random myth button for discovery
- Keyboard map rotation, full-screen mode and zoom-to-extent controls
- Right-click or long-press to view latitude and longitude
- Choice of map projections including Mercator, Robinson and Mollweide
Best for: Readers, students and map enthusiasts interested in how historical cartographic errors and legends shaped views of the world.
Good for
- Covers multiple categories of map myths, from speculative lands to duplicate islands
- Interactive controls support exploration of individual myths and their map context
- Includes a blog and further reading references on phantom places
Watch out for
- Content is available in English only
- Requires a web browser and loading of map data
- Uses cookies and similar technologies for features and traffic analysis
Map Myths at a glance
- Website
- mapmyths.com
- Category
- Travel & Maps › Maps, Navigation & Weather
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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Map Myths FAQ
What kinds of map myths does the atlas cover?
It covers phantom or speculative geographical features including cities, islands, mountain ranges and seas, grouped under tags such as speculative features, invented or deceptive features, duplicate islands, mistaken lands, legendary places and phantom islands explained by sinking.
Why did these erroneous features appear on old maps?
The site attributes them to causes including faulty logic or indirect observations, fictional accounts or deliberate invention to gain notoriety or funding, poor recording of ship positions, observations of icebergs or mirages, and cartographer mistakes or misunderstandings.
What map controls are available?
Users can rotate the map by holding Shift and Alt, enter full-screen mode, zoom to the map's full extent with the E key, and right-click or long-press to bring up latitude and longitude coordinates.
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