Wall maps are great ways to see things on a grand scale. People can see where they’ve been, where they want to go and places they’ve only dreamed of. Wall maps also often have themes, making them great ways to learn more than geography. You’ll find wall maps that focus on such things as topography, ocean currents and much more.
Maps are also things of beauty. When framed in ways that complement your map and home, they become works of art. If you are looking for a special foil map made to keep track of places you’ve been, take a look at the Maps International Scratch the World Travel Map.
The bigger the map, the more detail that can be included.
How comprehensive do you want your wall map to be? Are geographical boundaries enough, or do you want to know about things like topography, terrain and landscapes? What about climates and ocean currents? Choose a wall map that highlights the themes that interest you most.
Maps that show us the terrain beneath the oceans let us see how ridges formed on the seabed, continents were shoved around on tectonic plates and volcanoes grew so tall they became tiny islands at their very tips.
Choose only wall maps with designs that inspire you. The Earth can be displayed in many ways using many perspectives. Choose a wall map that interests you enough to look at every day.
These wall maps are interactive. Like scratch-off lottery tickets, they are covered in foil that you scratch off to reveal the map beneath, indicating the places you have traveled to or the countries your company ships to.
Wall maps cost from $10-$200, depending on the materials used, the accuracy of the information and the quality of the design.
A. A scale is a measurement method used to shrink something in size while maintaining the same proportions. A city map might have a scale where one inch on the map equals one mile in the real, full-sized city. The world is 25,000 miles around, so to fit it onto a wall map, each inch would have to represent hundreds or thousands of miles.
A. The answer is in how the Earth is divided into longitudes and latitudes. These dimensions are measured in degrees from zero to 360 like the arcs of the full circles they are. But the longitudes aren’t completely parallel — they come together at the poles, forming segments that taper to points at the ends.
When longitudes are printed as parallel lines on paper, the curvature of the Earth is lost. The result is that the farther you get from the center, the greater the distortion. This is why Greenland and Antarctica look bigger than they really are on most world maps.
Maps International Scratch the World Travel Map
What you need to know: This 23- by 33-inch map is interactive, made so world travelers can scratch off the places they have been.
What you’ll love: This classic scratch map comes rolled in a cardboard tube that protects it from creasing. Along its bottom are facts and figures about some of the cities and countries around the world.
What you should consider: The size and proportions do not fit a standard frame.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Swiftmaps 24- by 36-inch World and USA Two-Wall Mat Set
What you need to know: You get two maps for the price of one.
What you’ll love: Both maps are drawn in a style that emphasizes terrain, printed on heavy 100-pound paper and laminated so you can draw on them with dry ink. The USA map includes parts of Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
What you should consider: Some buyers wished there was more detail.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Star Builders Solar System and Beyond Wall Map
What you need to know: This 20- by 55-inch poster-size laminated paper map is full of fascinating detail.
What you’ll love: All the planets are portrayed, of course, but so are their axial tilt, orbit inclination, surface temperature, rotation period and all the known moons. The Earth is not only shown from the outside, but also all the way down to its inner core
What you should consider: This map can easily overwhelm its surroundings.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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David Allan Van writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
