PPT Slide
The surface of the earth is two dimensional, which is why only (but also both) latitude and longitude are needed to pin down a location. Many authors refer to it as three dimensional. This is incorrect. All map projections preserve the two dimensionality of the surface. The Byte magazine cover from May 1979 shows how the graticule rides up and down over hill and dale. Yes, it is embedded in three dimensions, but the surface is a curved, closed, and bumpy, two dimensional surface. Map projections convert this to a flat two dimensional surface.