Geography is the study of land and its constituents. Geography is about understanding the Earth’s complexity and how it works. Two fields of study make up geography: physical geography and human geography. While human geography studies people, their cultures, and their interactions with them, physical geography studies our environment and atmosphere.
Two instruments that help us understand the geography and structure of the world are a globe and a map.
Map Vs. Globe
The primary difference between a map and a globe is that a map can be used to represent any part of the country (a city, two, or a country), but the globe represents the entire world.
What is a Map?
A map shows certain geographic locations as pictures or general outlines. It provides an aerial view of an area. You can choose to have maps either static or dynamic. Although maps are mostly used for showing geography, they can also serve to represent fictional worlds and spaces.
An atlas is a collection of maps. Atlases are composed of symbols, distance, and direction. The distance between any of the two points is determined by the scale used for each map. For large areas, a smaller scale is preferred. A larger scale is for smaller areas. The symbols of North, East, and South determine the direction.
There are three main types of maps: physical, political, and thematic. A physical map shows physical features like mountains, rivers, plateaus, etc. A political map shows the outline of cities, towns, and states. A thematic map shows roads and rainfall patterns and shows where industries are distributed.
Cartography is the art of mapping. A cartographer is a map-maker. Road maps are the very widely used maps in the globe. These maps are used to locate a route to a specific destination. Google Maps is a popular app that offers an online collection, navigation system, and offline map of your city.
What is a Globe?
A globe is a three-dimensional, spherical representation of the Earth. A globe can also be used as a model for any other planets or celestial bodies. A terrestrial globe is a globe that is centered on Earth, while a celestial or celestial globe is a model of another planet.
The two main colors on a globe of Earth are brown and blue. The blue color represents water bodies and oceans, while the brown color is used for land. Latin for “Globus,” which is Latin for “sphere,” is the origin of the term globe.
Since the 3rd Century BC, we knew the Earth was a globe. Around this time, the first globe was created in modern-day Turkey. They weren’t as accurate as of the ones we have today. The globes of today represent continents, oceans, and countries of the exact same sizes.
The axis is the fixed point that allows for the globe to rotate about it. The axis aligns a globe in a slanting fashion—the needles on the axis point towards the north and south poles, respectively. Globes are available in many sizes and are made from a variety of materials, including glass, plastic, and other metals.
Principal Differences between Globe and Map
- A map represents a geographic area on paper. A globe is a world map and can be rotated around an axis.
- A map has two dimensions, while a globe has three.
- A map is better in comparison to a globe because it’s more detailed.
- Globes are heavy-set models that represent the Earth and are not portable. Maps are easy to transport.
- Maps are lighter than globes.
- Maps can be used to navigate a place, but not for a global view.
- In globes, longitudes and latitudes are represented by circles and semicircles. On maps, they are represented as vertical and horizontal lines.
Conclusion
Geography is a vital field of study. We learn from it about the world around us. Geography teaches us about the places we live and the environment around us. It helps us to locate and navigate around places.
A map can be used for more practical purposes, while a globe is used primarily for study. A map can be used to navigate, but a globe does not have roads or other details. A map can be used to show a particular area and help us find our way.
Both maps and globes have their strengths and weaknesses. In describing distance and direction, a map is more accurate than a globe. A map is also smaller, lighter, and easier to use than a globe.
Maps can now be found on smartphones for free! Globes are not free. Globes can be very expensive, depending on the material used.