National Geographic World Wall Map - Decorator - Laminated (46 x 30.5 in) (National Geographic Reference Map)

National Geographic's World map is the standard by which all other reference maps are measured. The World map is meticulously researched and adheres to National Geographic's convention of making independent, apolitical decisions based on extensive research using multiple authoritative source.

The Decorator style World map uses a vibrant color palette that fills each country for easy identification and stunning shaded relief that will stand out as a beautiful piece of cartographic artistry. Drawn in the Winkel Tripel projection, distortions are minimized and unlike many other World maps, Greenland is show the same size as Argentina and not as the size of all of South America.

Thousands of place names are carefully and artistically placed on the map to maintain legibility even in the heavily populated ares of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Details include clearly defined international boundaries, cities, physical features, rivers, and ocean floor features. Corner inset maps feature vegetation and land use, and population density as well as the north and south polar regions.

The map is encapsulated in heavy-duty 1.6 mil laminate which makes the paper much more durable and resistant to the swelling and shrinking caused by changes in humidity. Laminated maps can be framed without the need for glass, so the fames can be much lighter and less expensive.