Maps of the World Maps of the World World maps stimulate interest in the size, shape, and appearance of our world and in changes people have imposed upon it. Much information of this sort is best conveyed visually with a map.
Some world maps show the mountains, rivers, oceans, and plains that make up the face of the Earth.
Some show only the boundaries that divide our world into nations. Others show the Earth's resources, population centers, or earthquake activity. Some combine many kinds of information. This Dynamic Planet A World Map of Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Plate Tectonics - This map shows the Earth's physiographic features overlain by its volcanoes, earthquake epicenters, and movement of its major tectonic plates. Compiled and published jointly by the Smithsonian Institution and the USGS, this computer-generated map of the world provides a base map that shows the topography of the land surface and the seafloor.