A globe is a three-dimensional spherical representation of our planet Earth. It serves the same purpose as a map and gives us an idea of how the countries and continents are distributed across the planet. You get an idea of the shape, the location of the continents and oceans, and the overall view of our world. The globe we use for general purposes is a terrestrial globe.
Now, let us dive deep into understanding the limitations a globe has.
What are the limitations of a globe?
Here is a list of limitations of a globe and their explanation:
1. A globe cannot be carried around with us to different places.
It is impossible to carry a ginormous sphere in our hands or backpacks, and the size of a usual globe is vast to take with us anywhere. In fact, a globe of any size can be challenging to carry compared to an Atlas that can easily fit in our backpacks. It has a scale and a stand that can be difficult to put inside your bag.
2. The natural geographical features and landscapes are not shown on it.
It is slightly tricky to display the geographical features on a globe. Also, you will not get an idea of the different types of plateaus, plains, mountains, and vegetation. It can only show you the countries and borders, the capitals of those countries, the size and positioning of those countries and continents, and how big the continents are. You will also not be able to learn about the climate of a place and how every place has different weather.
3. It is difficult to know the actual size of a region or a place.
Since globes come in different sizes, learning about the actual size of the countries and continents will be difficult. A terrestrial globe can only depict the world on a smaller scale. Maps are made to scale and can be region specific, giving us a much better idea of the size of a place.
4. The distance between two locations cannot be accurately determined by looking at a globe.
It can be challenging to scale the distance between two locations on a globe, and it is hard to determine the actual distance, and measuring it with a standard scale is not practical. Maps, on the other hand, are made to scale and give us an accurate idea of the distance between two places.
5. You can only see one part of the globe simultaneously.
You can only see one side of a globe at a time, and the other parts get hidden from our vision. That way, you cannot have a complete view of all the countries and continents. On a standard physical or political map, you can see all the countries and continents simultaneously, but you cannot do so on a terrestrial globe.
Conclusion
So, to conclude, while a globe helps us understand what our world looks like and where are all the continents, countries, and oceans are located, it also has some limitations to it:
- A globe cannot be carried around with us to different places, and the natural geographical features and landscapes are not shown on it.
- Knowing the actual size of a region or place is challenging.
- The distance between two locations cannot be accurately determined by looking at a globe.
- You can only see one part of the globe at a time.
Also, read The 10 Advantages of Friction.
