A World map is an abstract representation of the world – it needs to be interpreted very carefully as it is not a neutral document.
The most extensively used maps today are the road maps. The road maps form a subset of the navigational maps. But the world map is a map of the Earth surface that makes use of various map projections.
Coming To The Projections
World maps that depict the Earth’s surface actually use a projection. This is a way of interpreting the three-dimensional real surface of the earth to a two-dimensional picture. The most popularly known world-map projection is known as the Mercator Projection. This projection was initially designed as a nautical chart.
Learning The World Maps
Kids should have an understanding of geography and for this, getting familiar with the world map is absolutely essential. By looking at the map of the world, children develop a picture of the world in their minds.
The children will learn a lot which will include a study of the many countries, the states and their capitals and also the major physical features. You can play map games with the child – just ask the kid to point to the many continents in the map and then start asking the child to locate Zimbabwe or Vietnam. This is real fun. The kids will have fun and at the same time they will enjoy learning. This will keep them up to date on a lot of information.
It is important for the children to know about the world. It is really wonderful to know how easily it can be done through studying the world maps. So, encourage children to develop an interest in the world maps. The world map opens the door to knowing the world in which we all live in.