What a contour line leaves between its curves
Contours give a hillside selected equal-height lines. The space between them still holds benches, hollows and changes of grade that a map reader has to infer carefully.
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Why a coastline has no single simple length
A coastline figure depends on the chosen waterline, the inlets and islands counted, the map's resolution and the survey date. Those choices explain why two careful measurements can differ.
The distance a map projection changes
A map's grid gives useful distances, but a projected line, a line on the reference ellipsoid and a measured line on the ground are different quantities. The difference can matter well before a map looks visibly distorted.