Whether one is looking for a regional weather map, global topographical map or a geopolitical map of the US, there are numerous websites that offer maps online. These sites can suit a variety of needs, from assisting teachers and students in the classroom to helping a hiker plan his or her next trek.
Websites That Offer a Variety of Online World Maps, Maps for Download and Printable Maps
National Geographic Maps contains a wide selection of world maps in the Atlas Explorer area, including geophysical, geopolitical, historical, human footprint, interactive, satellite and topographical maps. There are also continental maps of Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America and oceans of the world. Visitors can also watch 3-D animations of life in ancient civilizations such as Angkor.
National Geographic sells a wide selection of print maps, laminated maps, mounted maps, world wall maps and map puzzles. The oldest of the ancient maps available on National Geographic is a reproduction of the 1493 Chronicon Nurembergense world map. Visitors can also download maps to their GPS.
WorldAtlas.com caters to teachers, parents, students and travelers. Its design and site navigation are extremely kid-friendly. Visitors can print maps, read about capital cities, currency, flags, land forms, population, bodies of water and time zones. World Atlas has geographical maps, world outline maps and a world time zone map.
Atlapedia Online offers political and physical maps. In addition to the online atlas, Atlapedia also lists information about the climate, economy, geography, history, language, people, religion and population statistics for each country.
The Class Resources section of Atlapedia contains additional school and homework resources for students and teachers. Teachers can download world political maps, world physical maps and a continental USA map.
Antique World Maps Online
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey has over 20,000 maps and nautical charts dating back to the late 1700’s. The site houses some of the earliest charts in American history, as well as city plans, Civil War battle maps, geodetic surveys, hydrographic surveys and topographic surveys.
The Ancient World Mapping Center (AWMC) at the University of North Carolina offers an assortment of free maps that are available for download. These maps are to be used for educational purposes only. The AWMC has maps of ancient Greece, Egypt and the Roman Empire, along with world maps of today.
World Weather Maps Online
The Weather Network provides weather forecasts and information for Canada, the US and major international cities. In addition to weather maps, The Weather Network also offers satellite and radar maps. It also posts information about airline flights, tropical storms, the seasons and highway conditions.
WxUSA Weather Hub provides weather reports for over 50,000 places in the United States and various cities worldwide. It also supplies information about hurricane storms, earthquakes and wildfires.
Thematic World Maps Available Online
The Ocean Explorer contains a unique selection of ocean floor maps for visitors. Geotectonic maps, hydrothermal maps, multi-beam maps and planktonic maps are some examples. The Education section contains materials and resources for classroom use.
NASA Earth Observatory provides global maps as viewed from outer space. A sampling of the maps available to the public include: aerosol optical depth, chlorophyll, land surface temperature, net radiation and total rainfall.
Astronomy.com has an interactive star chart on its website. Users can personalize the view to match their location.
Finally, there are various online road maps and directional maps. Bing Maps, Google Maps, Google Earth, MSN Maps, MapQuest, Multimap and Yahoo! Maps are some of the more popular online map websites.
Whether one is planning a trip or needs a map to use in a school project, these websites provide users a wide selection of online world maps to choose from. This is just an assortment of popular and thematic maps that explorers can view, print or buy. Although there are other websites that also offer online world maps, this provides a good starting point for any map seeker.
References:
Carlton University Library: Online Maps: By Geographic Area: World/International, (accessed July 3, 2010).
University of Texas Libraries: Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection: Maps on Other Web Sites, (accessed July 6, 2010).
Rhona-Mae Arca - Rhona-Mae is a Registered Music Teacher. She has an ARCT in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, B.A. (Music) and ...
