National Geographic – The Only Way to Explore the World
Maps are not just for finding places, planning routes and seeing what is around us. They can also provide a breathtaking window into the past, showing us more of the world around us than we’ve ever seen before.
This is what National Geographic has achieved with its stunning website, which is chock full of maps of all kinds. From prehistoric maps to climate change maps, there is far more here than you might think, and it’s all very user friendly.
Using the search facility
The search facility couldn’t be simpler. There is a single box into which you type the location you are looking for, and then you click on the ‘find a place’ button to get your map.
The best results are obtained when you search for a location, a county or a country. If more than one result is found you simply click on the one you want and the map appears.
You can also go back to the different results and select another option if you wish. The system employed here is simple and straightforward, without using any unnecessarily complicated methods to locate the map you need.
How user friendly are the maps themselves?
Once you find your area, you will be able to explore it easily. There is a small overview map at the top right hand corner of the large map, which enables you to move around the area or even the country, so you can look at surrounding areas and locations.
There are also plenty of options to allow you to view your chosen map in an altogether different way. The National Geographic website gives you all the tools you need to learn about different areas all around the world. Some of the maps you can view include:
- Population density map, showing the most heavily populated areas in dark red
- Temperature maps, which give the average temperature of all areas in degrees Celcius
- Maps showing what different areas are used for, such as farming for example
There are plenty more options to choose from as well, giving you a more in depth understanding of any region, country or area you choose. It’s ideal for study and homework purposes, as the knowledge you can gain from the site is immense. It can also be extremely useful if you are thinking of moving to a specific area and you want to find out more about it.
You can also change the kind of map you are looking at with the touch of a button, and scroll in and out depending on how much detail you want to see. Zooming in on a specific location is easy; all you need to do is double click on the point you want to zoom in on and the site does the rest. As you get closer you will see street names starting to appear, plus details of railway lines, rivers and other relevant features.
The three main options you have to view your map are all of outstanding quality; the road map shows the main roads and streets existing in an area, while the satellite picture shows you the earth in minute detail from above. The physical map option gives much more detail about the nature of the area itself, and identifies mountain ranges, rivers and much more.
Other useful features
The National Geographic site is jam packed with other features which are irresistible to explore. One of the most fascinating areas of the site is the section covering Prehistoric Maps. You can travel back two hundred and fifty million years to the Triassic period, when the world had just one supercontinent, Pangaea. Not only can you move forward from this point and look at maps which show you how the continents we know today were eventually formed, you can also learn about the various species you would have seen during each period in history.
You can also search countries and regions and view maps of much larger areas, giving you a fascinating insight into what each country looks like from the air. This is also a quick and easy way to find a map for a specific country, along with plenty of useful information that will come in very handy if you are planning on taking a trip to that region.
If you are looking for a place in the United States you can input a zip code and find a specific building or address via this information only. For the rest of the world the location will suffice.
Another key feature of the maps is the ‘legend’ option, which allows you to display notable landmarks on your maps. If you select this you can see shopping and recreational areas, along with naturally occurring landmarks such as rivers and parks as well.
If you need help
The Frequently Asked Questions section of the site is easily accessed via the ‘Contact Us’ option at the bottom of the screen. The FAQ button is at the top left of that page.
The FAQ is divided into sections, which help in identifying any areas you need to get help with. The main contacts page also has the email address of the webmaster, who you can email if you have any issues with the maps on the site.
In reality however you shouldn’t have any need to contact anyone, as National Geographic maps are reassuringly easy to use and wonderful to learn from.
In conclusion
Sometimes you want more than just a straightforward map, and when that time comes National Geographic is really the only website that will service all your needs and many more besides.
The maps available on National Geographic put a whole new spin on the world around us, and they can also raise our awareness of climate change, natural disasters and how the earth has come to look the way it is today.
Some of the maps also take you into other areas of the site, which can only further your level of knowledge and understanding of the world as a whole. There is much to be learned from looking at a map – and on the National Geographic website, the maps are truly out of this world.