Three stories about maps.
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2016/05/11/if-you-love-maps-this-blog-is-for-you/
The actual blog is:
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/blog/all-over-the-map/
and
Bizarre, Enormous 16th-Century Map Assembled for First Time
and
These Imaginary Islands Only Existed on Maps

From last link above.

Sandy Island is the most recent island to be un-discovered, in late 2012. An Australian research vessel noticed discrepancies between the navigational chart and the systems they had on board, some of which showed Sandy Island in the region between Australia and New Caledonia, and some of which did not. They decided to have a look for themselves but found there was no such island, neither above nor beneath the surface. But Sandy Island still appeared on all kinds of charts and even Google Maps and Google Earth.

mollwollfumble said:

Sandy Island is the most recent island to be un-discovered, in late 2012. An Australian research vessel noticed discrepancies between the navigational chart and the systems they had on board, some of which showed Sandy Island in the region between Australia and New Caledonia, and some of which did not. They decided to have a look for themselves but found there was no such island, neither above nor beneath the surface. But Sandy Island still appeared on all kinds of charts and even Google Maps and Google Earth.

I read somewhere that map-makers deliberately include fake items on their maps as a form of copyright protection.

KJW said:

mollwollfumble said:

Sandy Island is the most recent island to be un-discovered, in late 2012. An Australian research vessel noticed discrepancies between the navigational chart and the systems they had on board, some of which showed Sandy Island in the region between Australia and New Caledonia, and some of which did not. They decided to have a look for themselves but found there was no such island, neither above nor beneath the surface. But Sandy Island still appeared on all kinds of charts and even Google Maps and Google Earth.

I read somewhere that map-makers deliberately include fake items on their maps as a form of copyright protection.

There’s been a trade in dodgy nav charts for sometime now. Just like counterfeit banknotes, there’s counterfeit nav charts out there. And, just like schoolkids copying each others’ answers, the counterfeiters tend to coy each others’ errors and blunders (and , possibly, their ‘practical jokes’).

See this article from 2013:

http://www.maritimejournal.com/news101/industry-news/ukho-warns-against-counterfeit-nautical-charts

I was going to say that surely Google Earth would quantify the existence of Sandy Island… but I guess not.

Divine Angel said:

I was going to say that surely Google Earth would quantify the existence of Sandy Island… but I guess not.

Where is Sandy Is.?

roughbarked said:

Divine Angel said:

I was going to say that surely Google Earth would quantify the existence of Sandy Island… but I guess not.

Where is Sandy Is.?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Island,_New_Caledonia

Divine Angel said:

roughbarked said:

Divine Angel said:

I was going to say that surely Google Earth would quantify the existence of Sandy Island… but I guess not.

Where is Sandy Is.?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Island,_New_Caledonia

Ah. Thanks

roughbarked said:

Divine Angel said:

I was going to say that surely Google Earth would quantify the existence of Sandy Island… but I guess not.

Where is Sandy Is.?

Nowhere, apparently.

The Rev Dodgson said:

roughbarked said:

Divine Angel said:

I was going to say that surely Google Earth would quantify the existence of Sandy Island… but I guess not.

Where is Sandy Is.?

Nowhere, apparently.

That was the gist I was getting at the time.