Читать книгу Geography For Dummies - Jerry T. Mitchell - Страница 77

A globe is a spherical map of the world. I’m almost embarrassed to write that because everybody knows a globe when they see one. But over the years, I’ve been amazed at the number of people who tell me that a globe isn’t a map because, according to them, maps are by definition flat. Not so. A globe is a representation of Earth; so, by definition, it most definitely is a map.

The globe is the one and only honest map of the world. Because the globe has the same shape as Earth, the appearance of Earth on a globe is free of distortion. Put differently, a globe doesn’t lie flat so it doesn’t lie at all (except for maybe the information displayed on or left off the globe). On a side note, globes are very attractive and fun to look at. Place one conspicuously in your home and guests are likely to think you have good taste and are very intellectual.