A real depiction of the sizes and positions of continents is given by looking at a globe. However, flat maps are far more convenient to use. Unfortunately, as the following video shows, it is not possible to make a flat map of a curved surface (the world) without introducing distortions of one sort or another. The following video illustrates this problem and talks about how the problem has been handled historically and for different uses. (Complements of
https://www.facebook.com/Vox/videos/875095636011373/