It is designed to show prominent global features when viewed from a distance, with more detailed features visible on closer inspection. The USGS publishes two outline maps of the world. Both are printed in two colors and use the Van der Grinten projection centered on the Americas. The outline format makes them useful as base maps on which you can compile and display special information. It shows their capitals and major cities.
Symbols show the epicenters and majnitudes of surface waves.
Cast on a Mercator projection, it is centered on the Americas. This multicolored map show political boundaries, names of nations, capital cities, undetermined borders, and disputed territories. The map's Miller cylindrical projection is centered on the Greenwich Meridian. The USGS sells three topographic maps of the world that show international boundaries, country names, capitals, and selected cities and towns. All three, produced by the Defense Mapping Agency, use the Mercator projection centered on the Pacific Ocean.