Category: Geography Articles

  • World Map Poster

    A world map poster is poster featuring a map of the world. A world map poster is graphical representation of the world. A world map poster is designed and intended to be placed on wall or other such surface. Usually, a waterproof & tear- resistant synthetic paper or canvas is used to design a world map poster.

    Often designed graphically superior and eye-catching, a world map poster aims at conveying geographical information of the world. A world map poster can be political or physical. A political world map poster features the political units of the world, but a physical world map poster features geographical features, such as mountains, soil types or lands, oceans, islands, of the world. A world map poster is also known as geographical world map poster. A geographical world map poster may also feature underlying rock, fault lines, subsurface structures, flora & fauna, weather conditions, air routes, roads, naval routes of the world.

    If you’re looking for great maps, look into maps created by space satellites. Space and spy satellites use very high powered cameras to photograph the earth from space.

    Generally, a world map poster is purposely designed to convey information and knowledge, so a world map poster is often used as an educational poster or classroom poster, which is a poster that is used in academia to promote and explain information or knowledge. A world map poster is instrumental in teaching world geography. A world map poster is usually used in schools and classes to help students understand the physical features of the world. A world map poster can also used at home to teach kids.

    A world map poster is conventionally sized around 36″ x 24″. However, a world map poster may be little larger or smaller than conventional world map poster. A world map poster can be available as hanging rail, pull down roller, framed, or mounting board. A world map poster is clear, fine, well elaborated, and easy to understand. Often, a world map poster is cheaper that a world wall map; a world map poster can be purchased for less that $10. A world map poster can be purchased from local bookstores. A world map poster can also be purchased online thru internet. There are a number of online map stores selling a wide range of world map posters online.

  • World Wall Maps

    The world wall maps are the maps designed and intended for placement on a wall. The world wall maps are much similar to scroll painting or flexible canvas or brocade wall hangings that can be rolled for storage. The world wall maps are often the printed or drawn maps that are visually interesting and attractive.

    Often the world wall maps are political or physical. The political world wall maps feature the political units or divisions of the world, but the physical world wall maps feature geographical features, such as mountains, soil type or lands of the world. The physical world wall maps are also known as geographical world wall maps. The geographical world wall maps may also feature underlying rock, fault lines, subsurface structures, flora & fauna, and weather conditions at various places of the world.

    There are a myriad of styles, designs, sizes available in the world wall maps. There are several types of world wall maps including mural world wall maps, laminated world wall maps, child world wall maps, felt world wall maps, paper world wall maps, wall size world wall maps, large world wall maps, medium world wall maps, small world wall maps, colored world wall maps, decorative world wall maps, suede world wall maps, etc.

    The decorative world wall maps are often used for decorative purposes at homes. There is a wide range of decorative world wall maps available including antique world wall maps, illuminating world wall maps, classic world wall maps, colorful world wall maps, etc. The world wall maps are often available as hanging rails, pull down rollers, frames, mounting boards, etc. The world wall maps are often are often available as down scrolls or side scrolls. Usually, waterproof & tear-resistant synthetic material is used for the world wall maps.

    The world wall maps are often used at schools, colleges, universities, and homes for educational and decorative purposes. The world wall maps are easy to understand, and they don’t require any special skill or knowledge to understand them. It is very easy to locate different regions and countries on the world wall maps.

    The world wall maps can be purchased from bookstores or stationary stores. There are a myriad of world wall maps available at local bookstores or stationary stores. The world wall maps can also be purchased online. There are numerous online map stores selling a wide range of world wall maps online.

  • World Map Wall

    You are at right place, if you looking for some useful information on world map wall. Your world wall map is sometimes also termed as world map wall. Your world map wall is a map of the world designed and intended for placement on a wall. Similar to a scroll painting or a flexible canvas or a brocade wall hanging that can be rolled for storage, your world map wall is a printed or drawn and visually eye-catching world map.

    Your world map wall is often categorized as political or physical. Your political world map wall features the political units or divisions of the world, but a physical world map wall features geographical features, such as mountains, soil types or lands, oceans, islands, of the world. Your physical world map wall is also known as geographical world map wall. Your geographical world map wall may also feature underlying rock, fault lines, subsurface structures, flora & fauna, weather conditions, air routes, roads, naval routes of the world.

    Your world map wall may have a myriad of styles, designs, sizes. Your world map wall may be a mural world map wall, laminated world map wall, felt world map wall, paper world map wall, wall size world map wall, large world map wall, medium world map wall, small world map wall, colored world map wall, decorative world map wall, suede world map wall, etc.

    Your decorative world map wall is often used for decorative purposes at your homes and offices. Your decorative world map wall may include antique world map wall, illuminating world map wall, classic world map wall, colorful world map wall, etc. Your decorative world map wall is often available as hanging rail, pull down roller, frame, mounting board, etc. Your world map wall may also available as down scroll or side scroll.

    Your world map wall is usually made of waterproof & tear- resistant synthetic material. It is a common prop of schools, colleges, universities, and homes. It is often used for educational and decorative purposes. Your world map wall is easy to understand, and doesn’t require any special skill or knowledge to understand it. It is rather easy to locate different regions and countries on your world map wall.

    Your world map wall is little pricier than world map posters or charts. You can purchase your world map wall from bookstores or stationary stores. You can also buy your world map wall online. There are numerous online map stores selling a wide range of world map wall online.

  • World Globes

    The world globes are round model representing the spheroid body of earth or the world. Often used literally as synonymous with the “earth” or “world,” the word – globe – has come from the Latin word “globus” that means round mass or sphere. The world globes are sphere representing the maps of world.

    The oldest known globe was made around 150 BC by the scholar Crates of Mallus in modern day Turkey. Featured in the Naples Museum, Naples, Italy, the ancient celestial globe called the Farnese Atlas is believed to be built in 150 AD as part of a sculpture. The first old globe was constructed in the Muslim world during the middle Ages. Martin Behaim in Nürnberg, Germany constructed the oldest existing terrestrial globe in 1492.

    The world globes are just geographical representation of the world, and have negligible distortion. The world globes are made using a map projection with an inherent degree of distortion; the projection may either enforce angle preservation or area preservation. Roughly 1:40 million is a typical scale for the world globes. Usually mounted at an angle on bearings, the world globes are imprinted with parallels and meridians. Most of the modern world globes are covered with by printed paper maps of the world. The representations of world globes using 3D software are often called virtual globes.

    The sizes of world globes depend on the sizes of spheres; there can be different sizes of world globes ranging from table tennis ball to gigantic world globes, such as Unisphere and Eartha. Located in Flushing Meadows Park in the Borough of Queens, New York City, the Unisphere of 120 feet in diameter is the largest of world globes. Located within the headquarters of the DeLorme mapping corporation in Yarmouth, Maine, Eartha with 41 feet in diameter is the largest of the rotating and revolving world globes. Mapparium at Christian Science complex in Boston, Babson globe in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and the Giant Globe in the lobby of The News Building in New York City are some more giant world globes in the world.

    The world globes help understanding the natural phenomenon of Earth rotation, change of day and night, and change of seasons. The world globes are great help to travelers, navigators, aeronauts, geographers, and students. The world globes can be purchased online. There are a number of sites selling the finest world globes online.

  • North America Map

    The major developments in cartography took place during the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries. The world as whole began to appear in the early 16th century maps of the world. The north america map developments began following the voyages by Columbus (1492) and discoveries of the New World.

    The Waldseemüller’s world map was the first map to incorporate New World discoveries in 1507. The world map of Rosselli was the first map to show the entire globe in 1508. Gerardus Mercator of Flanders (Belgium), a leading cartographer of the mid-16th century, developed a cylindrical projection and published a map of the world in 1569. Mercator’s map was the ultimate map for navigation of the world. The early north america map prints were produced using carved wooden blocks. The copper plane printing of maps appeared in the 16th century and continued until photographic techniques were developed.

    The north america map is geographical representation of the North America. The north america map shows the actual location of the continent, places on the continent, ocean and island around the continent. The north america map mainly include the Arctic Ocean in the North, the North Atlantic Ocean to the East, the Caribbean Sea and Caribbean islands to the southeast, the North Pacific Ocean to the south and west, and Isthmus of Panama connecting the North America to the South America.

    However, according to some geographers, the north america map doesn’t include the Isthmus of Panama rather the north america map territory begins at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico. The intervening region is Central America or Middle America that includes the Caribbean Plate.

    The north america map helps includes the geographical regions in/around Canada, USA, Mexico, Caribbean Islands, and the Central America (if taking it as part of the North America) including Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, And Panama. The Continental north america map shows different water bodies including Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Hudson Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of California and Baffin Bay in blue color.

    The north america map the physical features of the North America, which include Great Plains, the Western Mountains, the Canadian Shield, varied Eastern Region, etc. The north america map offers a great help to the tourists, travelers, geographers, and students of geography.

  • Outline World Map

    If you are like any other person with an imagination in the world, you have probably sat down in front of an outline world map at one point or another and considered the possibilities that were in store. Maybe it was at home with a pinup of an outline world map on your wall in your bedroom at home, or maybe it was in school doing one of those coloring projects with outline world maps when you were younger.

    As you got older, maybe you met an outline world map as an old foe on a high school geography project. It can be frustrating when you get familiar with them that way, so many lines and shapes on a blank space but no names in the spaces (in most cases). We have all come into contact with world map outlines sometime in our academic career, and even more into college life, if applicable. Have you considered that there are still uses for outline world maps, and they can be similar to how you used to use them? Consider using outline world maps to explore the possibilities that the world has in store for you.

    It is not hard to find an outline world map. You can find one on the internet and print it out and pin it up on your wall in your bedroom or rec room. You can use the map to pin point all of the places that you have been in the world and all the places you would like to go.

    An outline world map is also a great learning tool for kids who have a parent or both parents in the military. It is fun and interesting for kids to see exactly where in the world their parent is, and how their location relates to where they live at home. As far as children go, world map outlines are a great way for them to learn about the world. 2007 is a time where people should be somewhat familiar with the world around them, and what better way to learn than with an outline world map?

  • World Time


    World time is measured by the world clock. Now, everybody should know how this clock, which records time world wide, works.

    To begin lets know a bit about its history. World time truly came into existence in November 1995. It all began in 1884, when the International Meridian Conference held in Washington declared the Greenwich Meridian as the Prime Meridian for the measure of Longitude. Greenwich is in London and was the site of the Royal Observatory with the same name until 1946.

    The Greenwich Meridian was also adopted as the World Time or GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and the opening point of each time zone in the world.

    Since the duration of a day is 24 hours, World Time is divided into 24 time zones, with longitude differences of 15° or one hour. GMT is mean solar time calculated at midday. This system became internationally official on January 1st, 1885.

    On January 1st, 1982, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), identified UTC (Universal Time Coordinated). This was to bring parity in universal time where there were differences in the duration of a day throughout the year, due to the earth’s rotation.

    An international agreement declared UTC time as Greenwich Mean Time, though they are calculated differently. GMT is calculated from noon whereas UTC is measured from midnight. Each World Time Zone is set as an integer offset of hours to UTC time, +7 hours or -10 hours to UTC. If time reads 12:00 (Noon/PM), then people having offset +7 hours, have local time 19:00.

    If the time displays a ‘-‘ (minus) after the time, this means the day before the current UTC time. A ‘+’ after the time means the place has already entered the day following the current UTC time. Such divisions are necessary to manage time in different countries and continents.

    Then there are cities that follow Daylight Saving Time (DST) and are denoted with a star (*) after the city name. In such a system, the clock is set to correctly to display DST.

    There is another concept called the fixed time. Here you press the relevant key to select a city and a time on the world time table and you get to know the worldwide time right at that moment.

  • Surprising Geographical Facts


    Do you know which is the tallest mountain in the world? I bet most of you would be surprised to know that it is in the United States. Almost everyone talks of Mount Everest, in the Himalayas, as being the tallest mountain, but it isn’t. It has the world’s highest peak, but it isn’t the tallest. Why?

    Mountains are measured from their base to their tip. Mount Everest stands on the Asia continental shelf. It is measured from the ground to the tip, and stands at 29,035 feet, to its summit (tip).

    Mauna Kea on the U.S. island of Hawaii is 32,000 feet tall. Because it is measured from the ocean floor, it doesn’t reach as high as Mount Everest, but is actually taller from base to tip.

    Here are some more geographical facts that may make you wonder.

    Highest Peak:
    The tip (peak) of Mount Everest is the world’s highest point. It is 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level.


    Tallest Mountain:
    Mauna Kea on the U.S. island of Hawaii is 32,000 feet (9,750 meters) tall. Because it is measured from the ocean floor, it doesn’t reach as high as Mount Everest.

    Largest Lake:
    The Caspian Sea, at 143,244 square miles (371,000 square kilometers), is the largest lake in the World. It is a salt-water lake.

    Largest Freshwater Lake:
    Lake Superior on the U.S.-Canada border is 31,700 square miles (82,100 square kilometers) and the world’s largest fresh water lake.

    Longest River:
    The Nile River in Africa is the longest at 4,241 miles (6,825 kilometers) long. It only just beats the Amazon in length.

    Largest River (system):
    Although it’s not quite the longest, the Amazon River is by far the biggest river system in the world. Its drainage basin is almost 2.4 million square miles. It lets almost seven million cubic feet of water into the ocean every second.

    Highest Waterfall:
    Angel Falls, in Venezuela, drops 3,212 feet (979 meters) from Devil’s Mountain.

    Widest Waterfall:
    Khone Falls stretch 6.7 miles (10.8 kilometers) across the Mekong River, between Laos and Cambodia.

  • Ecology


    Ecology is a common term that we hear every day. Commonly it is synonymous to the study of the natural world around us. However, more scientifically it is just not that; it is a multi-disciplinary branch of biology that studies living organisms in relation to the biosphere they inhabit.

    Alternatively known as ecological science, this subject also includes the study of human activity oriented sciences like agriculture, fisheries, forestry, medicine and urban development. 

    This subject is a relatively recent branch of study. It became popular in the second half of the 20th Century. However, the concepts of nature around us (as ecology is generally equated with) have been subjects of interest for a long time. In fact, keeping that in mind we can say that Aristotle who had a keen interest in animal life was one of the first ecologists we had. His pupil, Theophrastus also went on to explore the co-existence pattern between animals and their environment way back in the 4th century BC.

    The study of ecology can be broadly divided under the following patterns:

    1. Includes sub-divisions like: 
      • Physiological (or ecophysiology) and Behavioral: That studies how living beings adapt to their environment.
      • Population (or autecology) studies: The population aspect of a single species.
      • Community (or synecology): Studies the relations between species in an ecological community.
      • Ecosystem studies: Explores the exchange of energy and matter through the biotic and abiotic channels.
      • Landscape studies: Studies the practices and links between multiple ecosystems or extensive geographic zones.
    2. Another method is a study based on species such as animal, plant, insect etc.
    3. Yet another approach is by biome studies, such as the Arctic or polar, tropical, desert etc.
    4. A very basic method of study is to subdivide the ecology into categories like chemical, genetic, field, statistical, theoretical etc.

    However, you must remember that these different methods of the study of ecology are exclusive and often undertaken simultaneously. For instance, an expert in this field can at once be a theoretical plant community ecologist or a polar ecologist exploring animal genetics as well.

    Another related term that we often hear nowadays is ecological crisis. This happens when the ecology of a group of living beings evolves in such a way as to pose a threat to its own survival.

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  • Location or Place?

    Sometimes people become confused between location and place. What is a location and what is a place, and why are they not the same? Well in everyday language they probably are the same, but in geographical terms they are very different. Location tells you where something is, place tells you what it is like.

    Location


    This is divided into 2 parts:


    Specific locationSpecific location

    General Location


    Specific location is shown by an address. The address can be any type of address that gives an exact position. It is sometimes called absolute location
    Here are some examples:
    A Street Address:
    1, Silly Street, Anywhere Town, Nowhere Place
    A Map Address:
    15o20′ North, 20o15′ West

    Both of these examples well tell you exactly where a place is.

    General location is shown by saying where something is in relation to somewhere or something else. It is also known as relative location.
    Here are some examples:
    ten minutes away by train
    in front of the bank

    With these two examples you can only find what you want if you know from where you are starting. It’s useful, though, for describing things. If I just told you that New York was located at 40o North, 73o West, you probably couldn’t picture that in your head. If I told you that it was in the North-Eastern United States, you could probably imagine it much better.

    Place

    The place is a description of what the place is like, rather than where it is (location). It is a description of what makes that place different to others. If I was trying to tell you about the bedrooms in a house, and I wanted to explain to you exactly which one I meant, I could say, “the one with two beds and one window”. If the other rooms had only one bed each, or two windows, then you could easily tell which room I meant.

    This is divided into 2 parts:


    Physical DifferencesPhysical Differences

    Human Differences

    Physical differences, or characteristics, include things that occur naturally, such as mountains, rivers, type of soil, wildlife, climate etc.

    I might say that a place is flat with rich soil and many rivers. I’m still being vague, but already you can see a picture of it in your head, and maybe even begin to imagine what the land is used for.

    Human differences, or characteristics, are things that have changed due to people, such as roads and buildings, how people live and their traditions.

    This is where you can really go to town in your description. You can discuss the cities, lifestyle, culture and all sorts of other interesting facts that make the place you are talking about different and special.

     

    For a description of each of the five themes, visit these links:

    Describing Places: The Five Themes of Geography on this site.

    Five Times Five
    The Five Themes of Geography
    The Five Themes of Geography