National Geographic World Maps
Setting the highest standard for cartographic excellence
Since publishing its first World Map in 1922, National Geographic has excelled in the art and science of mapmaking. National Geographic’s unique cartographic style is defined by beautiful color palettes, proprietary typefaces, hand-drawn shaded relief, and carefully researched content. The attention to detail and accuracy is what really sets National Geographic apart from other mapmakers. Each World Map has been carefully compiled based upon the latest data sources and independent verification of disputed boundaries, borders, and territories. When this level of research is combined with great design, the result is the best line of World Maps currently available.
Wall Map formats
- Paper: High-quality matte poster stock, printed in the USA
- Laminated: Plastic gloss lamination increases durability
- Poster size: 24″ x 36″, designed to fit precut poster frames
- Standard size: Approximately 30″ x 46″
- Enlarged size: Approximately 48″ x 73
- Mural size: Approximately 77″ x 110″, comes as three panels that mount using wallpaper glue
Four distinctive styles
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ClassicThe Classic style is the traditional National Geographic design that has been featured in so many of the maps produced as supplements in the National Geographic Magazine over the years. Highlights include blue oceans with bathymetric contour steps, brightly-colored tint bands along country borders, and hand-drawn shaded relief. This style contains the highest level of detail. This map is presented in the Winkel Tripel projection, which minimizes distortion and creates a very recognizable shape of the Earth. |
ExecutiveThe Executive style is a perfect match for home and office décor as it pairs nicely with wood and leather furnishings. Featuring an antique, earth-tone color palette combined with up-to-date cartography, this has become National Geographic’s bestselling World Map design. The subdued beige of the oceans is enhanced with bathymetric shading showing underwater terrain features. This style contains the highest level of detail. This map is presented in the Winkel Tripel projection, which minimizes distortion and creates a very recognizable shape of the Earth. |
DecoratorThe Decorator style is the brightest of the National Geographic World Map designs and is perfect for kids’ bedrooms, classrooms, and those who want a pop of color on the wall. Featuring solid colors filling each country, pale blue oceans with bathymetric shaded relief, and a black border around the whole image, this World Map is beautiful and easy-to-read. This style contains the second highest level of detail. This map is presented in the Winkel Tripel projection, which minimizes distortion and creates a very recognizable shape of the Earth. |
ModernThe Modern style is the minimalist amongst National Geographic’s World Map designs. It simply presents the beautiful shape of the Earth’s land mass, in solid black, sitting on top of slate blue/gray oceans. This map also includes country names, borders, and major cities in contrasting white. This design is compatible with modern home and office décor, pairing well with glass and metal furnishings. This style contains the lowest level of detail. This map was developed using the Times projection, which features minimal distortion in the equatorial regions of the Earth. |
Skylar T. –
If you’re considering purchasing this map, stop and just buy it now! This map is BEAUTIFUL! I had previously purchased the version that was not laminated and totally fell in love with it. Unfortunately, it ripped slightly and I was afraid it would not survive my move to another state, so I decided to order the laminated version. Since it comes in a tube, you’ll want to lay it out to flatten it out before hanging it (depending on how you’re planning to hang it). We slid it under the mattress for a couple days and then used industrial strength velcro to hang it on the wall. Eventually I am hoping to attach it to dowels to give it the pull-down map look!
josh –
If you’ve done your homework, you’ve probably ended up deciding to get this map. It’s the best one out there. It’s won awards! I bought one for my office and my house. The lamination has held up great (1 yr later).If you want to make it look really nice (since framing usually isn’t an option at these sizes) buy 2 PVC pipes or dowel rods to fit the length of the map. Spray paint these rods whatever color you’d like (black, bronze, gold). You can get some fancy end pieces for these too that you’ll need to attach to the rod. Then buy some sort of 3M stickies (I just used the velcro ones). Then attach the top horizontal part of the map to the rod. Do this along the bottom horizontal too. Now you can hang it and it looks nice and professional (and costing an additional $20). I got the idea here […]
Cy –
I love this map! It’s a great addition to my office and just what I wanted. The map is large and detailed. I made the frame with some planks I had purchased, and stained, from a supply store nearby. Then I just stapled the map to the frame. It’s simple yet adds some decoration to the wall.
Kindle Customer –
Was not crushed in transport. I initially disliked the idea that it was laminated, but could not find this size map any other way. Now I’m really glad that it is. It didn’t occur to me how much we, and others would lean in and touch the map. Imagine the dirty, greasy fingerprints that would have left!We also found an extremely affordable way to frame it out. Just by happenstance, we were at Home Depot and we saw large pieces of Styrofoam used for insulation larger than the map itself. It cost us less than $8. We cut the foam down and spray mounted the map directly onto the silver side of the Styrofoam. Bought thin pieces of wood to frame out the map and then hot glued those pieces to the edge of the map/foam. Not only do we have a very lightweight map that won’t weigh down our wall, the foam allows us to still use pins to mark our destinations. We researched investing in an actual frame, cork board backing, foamcore boards, etc. All were expensive options.This alternative was extremely cost effective and looks great!
Topgun –
Growing up in a NG fanatic family we had a political map on the wall and I always want done, this huge map cost us a pretty penny to frame at Michaels but the end result is beautiful in our basement and always comes up for conversation. As avid travelers we enjoy this more, every house should have one on the wall, a great way to remind us there’s an entire world out there!