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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about maps of Earth. For other uses, see World map (disambiguation). A world map on the Winkel tripel projection, a low-error map projection[1] adopted by the National Geographic Society for reference maps NASA's Blue Marble Next Generation, a composite of cloud-free satellite images A world map is a map of most or all of the surface of Earth. World maps, because of their scale, must deal with the problem of projection. Maps rendered in two dimensions by necessity distort the display of the three-dimensional surface of the Earth. While this is true of any map, these distortions reach extremes in a world map. Many techniques have been developed to present world maps that address diverse technical and aesthetic goals.[2] Charting a world map requires global knowledge of the Earth, its oceans, and its continents. From prehistory through the Middle Ages, creating an accurate world map would have been impossible because less than half of Earth's coastlines and only a small fraction of its continental interiors were known to any culture. With exploration that began during the European Renaissance, knowledge of the Earth's surface accumulated rapidly, such that most of the world's coastlines had been mapped, at least roughly, by the mid-1700s and the continental interiors by the twentieth century. Maps of the world generally focus either on political features or on physical features. Political maps emphasize territorial boundaries and human settlement. Physical maps show geographical features such as mountains, soil type, or land use. Geological maps show not only the surface, but characteristics of the underlying rock, fault lines, and subsurface structures. Choropleth maps use color hue and intensity to contrast differences between regions, such as demographic or economic statistics. Map projections Further information: Map projection See also: List of map projections All world maps are based on one of several map projections, or methods of representing a globe on a plane. All projections distort geographic features, distances, and directions in some way. The various map projections that have been developed provide different ways of balancing accuracy and the unavoidable distortion inherent in making world maps. Perhaps the best-known projection is the Mercator Projection, originally designed as a nautical chart. Mercator projection (showing between 82°S and 82°N) Mercator projection (showing between 82°S and 82°N) Mollweide projection Mollweide projection B.J.S. Cahill Butterfly Map, 1909, from 1919 pamphlet B.J.S. Cahill Butterfly Map, 1909, from 1919 pamphlet Polar azimuthal equidistant projection Polar azimuthal equidistant projection A south-up map A south-up map Pacific-centric map (more commonly used in East Asian and Oceania countries) Pacific-centric map (more commonly used in East Asian and Oceania countries) Gall–Peters projection, an equal-area map projection Gall–Peters projection, an equal-area map projection Robinson projection, formerly used by National Geographic Society Robinson projection, formerly used by National Geographic Society Thematic maps Further information: Thematic map A thematic map shows geographical information about one or a few focused subjects. These maps "can portray physical, social, political, cultural, economic, sociological, agricultural, or any other aspects of a city, state, region, nation, or continent".[3] [view in your browser]( * If you dohn't want to receive this mailer, please [unsubscribe here]( Responses to this email are not monitored.If you would like to report this email.please click here to [report spam]( #