Buy A Globe And Learn About The True Shape of the Earth
73What Is A Globe
An earth globe is a really cool tool and a must for everyone curious about the world and its geography. Put simple, a globe is a generalized, scaled down version of the earth showing the true shape of its continents and regions. It is important to understand the fundamental difference of an earth globe in comparison with flat, two-dimensional maps. Since the earth is shaped (almost) like a ball there is no way to put the true look of the earth and the shape of its continents onto a flat, two-dimensional map.
Flat Maps are drawn using complex mathematical calculations to project the three-dimensional information onto a two-dimensional piece of paper. Due to the nature of these mathematical operations the relationships of the places, the distances and the size of countries and continents is distorted.
In contrast a globe gives you the true shape of the earth and all its places. Hence, if you like to learn about the true shapes of the continents and countries of the earth you will have to use a globe. You can even measure the distances between places just by taking into account the scale of the globe whereas with maps measuring the real distance between far-away places is not possible without complex trigonometric calculations. And of course, spinning a globe around is much more fun than faltering a huge flat map.
Buy your globe from a huge selection of different globes
 | An inflatable globe is a perfect tool for the beaches. Fun is guaranteed. Amazon Price: $2.17 List Price: $9.99 |
 | A floor globe makes a perfect decoration item. Amazon Price: $225.00 List Price: $449.99 |
 | A globe wine bar is the perfect present for any geographically curious wine lover. Added bonus: you can locate the wine regions of the world in no time. Amazon Price: $84.95 List Price: $387.68 |
Why to Buy A Globe
Globes are a perfect learning tool for kids. Most kids are quite natural extremely curious and like to ask questions: Why is there a horizon? Why does the sun rise in the East? What about the movements of the sun during the day? Why are there night and day? Why is it warm in summer and cold during the winter? Answering these questions will be much easier for you with the help of a globe. And of course, your kids will understand these concepts much more easier as well.
Even some quite complex issues like the different climate zones (from hot around the equator to cold around the poles) is much easier to explain when using a globe for demonstration purposes.
Did you ever ask what is the shortest distance between two places on a sphere like the Earth? After all there are no straight lines on a sphere. It is the arc of a great circle, also called orthodrome in navigation. Answering this question and understanding the concept behind is quite difficult using mathematics but extremely easy when using a globe. In fact, when I started to study cartography and geography at the university decades ago our teacher advised us to buy a globe since this would help us to understand the concepts of spherical trigonometry. And I can assure you, we students benefited much from the decision to buy a globe.
But globes are not only useful as a learning tool. A globe is a very fine decoration item. A room with a globe makes the room (and with it the owner as well) somewhat more worldly. You have to try it to believe it but it works.
There are many different globes available: simple desk globes, globes for decoration, toy globes specifically for kids, inflatable globes, globes as swimming tools, extremely large and extremely small pocket globes, globes which are wine or liqueur bars. No needs and wants of the geographically curious will go unserved by the global globe industry.
 | More than 100 maps (from the Babylonean civilization to the modern high tech age) are organized chronologically in this book. Each maps is illustrated in full color and accompanied by a detailed description of its history including the historical background setting of the map. Amazon Price: $324.32 List Price: $40.00 |
How Mankind Mapped The World
If you want to delve deeper into the exciting history of how we proceeded to learn about the true shape of the earth and what important role maps played in history I can strongly recommend this book. The author Ralph E. Ehrenberg is former chief of the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress and thus knows his stuff. This is a comprehensive history of cartography and map making complete with over hundred pictures of stunning maps and their specific background. A truly fascinating read.
Take A Look Into A Globe Factory And See How Globes Are Manufactured
 | Amazon Price: $23.75 List Price: $44.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $70.99 List Price: $75.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $38.00 List Price: $59.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $157.00 List Price: $175.00 |
Globes For All Tastes
The variety of globes and the number of different globe types is huge. If you like solving puzzles maybe a puzzle globe will be a great idea for coming winter month. All puzzle pieces are perfectly curved and fit to gether exactly.
Floor globes are made in various design to fit into interieurs of all types, antique and modern. If you want to give your home a global and geographic chic you will be delighted by the variety of choices.
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Hi rebekahElle. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your kind remarks. My office is also full of maps and I have a rolling globe on my desk. All this geographical information in my office makes it the center when my co-workers do have any geography question. So globes and maps are even tools for socializing :).
The globe is quite fascinating,and the hands on approach is always more fun for learning along with the trendy Google Earth on the internet,I'd say!
Great hub euro-pen !
capitalism at it's best. Nice hub
Thank you for your responses. Yes, some online tools (like of course google earth and google maps) are really wonderful tools as well. But sometimes grabbing the "real" earth with your hands is way more fun.
Hi Euro-Pen.
This is a very, very nice job.
Simple and concise, availabe to all audiences.
Maybe it's not particulary aimed to selling, but it is rather enlightening and a nice piece of vulgarization.
Congratulations.
Tell us about Mercator some time.
Thank you for your kind comment, Zampano. Writing selling copy is definitely not really my cup of tea, I guess :). I will take your hint to Mercator. In fact I am already planning something about maps and/or history of maps. And Mercator has played a crucial role for navigation and his maps were fundamental in the age of discovery.
Interesting Hub, great video. Thank you.
Thank you for your comment, jiberish. Yes, this video about making globes is interesting. I was quite surprised to find such a detailed video about globes and globe making at youtube. In general I love video clips about the production processes of things.
Great idea for a hub, and engagingly written!
It's a cliche to call this a "global age," so what could be more timely?
Interesting article euro-pen, our world is a fascinating and beautiful place to live in. The globe may show the shape of the planet but unfortunately, not the condition. Tasmania, that little heart-shaped island below Australia, looks to all intents and purposes, like an apple. It is called the Apple Isle, in fact. Unfortunately, there is a worm in its core. See here:> http://hubpages.com/hub/awormintheapple
rebekahELLE Level 5 Commenter 2 years ago
hello euro-pen ~ I really enjoyed reading this article. I also love history and use my globe often, especially now when the world news is so global and interconnects all of us, in my office I have also a map of the world on my wall. so nice to see your article here. I'll give it a thumbs up!