A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of a spheroid celestial body such as a planet,

star or moon, in particular Earth, or, alternatively, a spherical representation of the sky
with the stars (but without the Sun, Moon, or planets, because their positions vary relative
to those of the stars; however, the ecliptic, along which the Sun moves, is indicated! "he
word globe comes from the #atin word globus, meaning round mass or sphere! "he
$lobe was also the theater where %illiam Shakespeare put on his plays!
Spherical globes are the only geographical representation that have negligible distortion!
Spheres are mapped onto a flat surface using a map pro&ection with an inherent degree of
distortion! "hese pro&ections can either enforce angle preservation or area preservation! A
typical scale for a globe is roughly '()* million!
"he Earth is the most popular planet represented, but globes of the Sun, the Moon and
other celestial ob&ects have been made, including fictional ones!
"he earliest known globe was constructed by the scholar +rates of Mallus in modern day
"urkey around ',* -+! An ancient celestial globe that still e.ists was made about ',*
A/ as part of a sculpture, called the 0arnese Atlas, in the 1aples Museum, 1aples, 2taly!
3'4 "he first globe of the 5ld %orld was constructed in the Muslim world during the
Middle Ages!364 "he oldest e.isting terrestrial globe was made by Martin -ehaim in
17rnberg, $ermany, in ')86!3'4
A globe is usually mounted at an angle on bearings! 2n addition to making it easy to use
this mounting also represents the angle of the planet in relation to its sun and the spin of
the planet! "his makes it easy to visuali9e how days and seasons change!
Sometimes a globe has relief, showing topography; in the case of a globe of the Earth the
elevations are e.aggerated, otherwise they would be hardly visible! Most modern globes
are also imprinted with parallels and meridians so that one could (if only appro.imately
due to scale tell where a specific point on the surface of the planet is located!
Mass-produced globes are typically covered by a printed paper map! "he most common
type has long, thin gores (strips of paper that narrow to a point at the north pole and the
south pole! 3'4 "hen a small disk is used to paper over the inevitable irregularities at the
poles! "he more gores there are, the less stretching and crumpling is re:uired to make the
paper map fit the sphere! 0rom a geometric point of view, all points on a sphere are
e:uivalent -- one could select any arbitrary point on the Earth, and create a paper map
that covers the Earth with strips that come together at that point and the antipodal point!
;owever, as the Earth is an oblate spheroid and not a perfect sphere, bulging slightly at
the e:uator, to correctly represent the true shape of the Earth using such paper strips is
more difficult!
globe, spherical map of the earth (terrestrial globe or the sky (celestial globe! "he
terrestrial globe provides the only graphic representation of the areas of the earth without
significant distortion or inaccuracy in shape, direction, or relative si9e! ;owever, the
flattening of the earth at the poles and its slight bulge below the e:uator are normally
disregarded in the construction of a globe! <robably the earliest globe was constructed by
the $reek geographer +rates of Mallus in the 6d cent! -!+! 0ew attempts were made to
construct globes in the Middle Ages, although Strabo and <tolemy, at the beginning of
the +hristian era, had formulated precise and detailed instructions for doing so! "he first
globes of modern times were made in the late ',th cent! by Martin -ehaim of 1uremberg
and #eonardo da =inci! 5ne of the earliest globes constructed (',*> after the discovery
of America is in the 1ew ?ork <ublic #ibrary! A celestial globe is a model of the
celestial sphere intended primarily to show the positions of the stars!
"ypes of Maps
"here are several types of maps! Each show different information! Most maps include a
compass rose, which indicates which way is north, south, east and west! "hey also
include a scale so you can estimate distances! ;ere@s a look at some different types of
maps!
+limate maps
give general information about the climate and precipitation (rain and snow of a region!
+artographers, or mapmakers, use colors to show different climate or precipitation 9ones!
Economic or resource maps
feature the type of natural resources or economic activity that dominates an area!
+artographers use symbols to show the locations of natural resources or economic
activities! 0or e.ample, oranges on a map of 0lorida tell you that oranges are grown
there!
<hysical maps
illustrate the physical features of an area, such as the mountains, rivers and lakes! "he
water is usually shown in blue! +olors are used to show reliefAdifferences in land
elevations! $reen is typically used at lower elevations, and orange or brown indicate
higher elevations!
<olitical maps
do not show physical features! 2nstead, they indicate state and national boundaries and
capital and ma&or cities! A capital city is usually marked with a star within a circle!
Boad maps
show ma&orAsome minor highwaysAand roads, airports, railroad tracks, cities and other
points of interest in an area! <eople use road maps to plan trips and for driving directions!
"opographic maps
include contour lines to show the shape and elevation of an area! #ines that are close
together indicate steep terrain, and lines that are far apart indicate flat terrain!
map
map, conventionali9ed representation of spatial phenomena on a plane surface! Cnlike
photographs, maps are selective and may be prepared to show various :uantitative and
:ualitative facts, including boundaries, physical features, patterns, and distribution! Each
point on such a map corresponds to a geographical position in accordance with a definite
scale and pro&ection (see map pro&ection! Maps may also represent such comparative
data as industrial power, population density, and birth and death rates! "he earliest
European printed maps (6d half of the ',th cent! were made from woodcuts; maps are
now reproduced by several processes, including photoengraving, wa. engraving, and
lithography! See also chart!