Globe, a round or spherical body, particularly one representing the earth or the heavens. A globe bearing a map of the earth on its surface is called a terrestrial globe; one bearing the heavens, a celestial globe. The globe is usually made by pasting gores (triangular pieces of a printed map) to the surface of a hollow sphere. The map may also be drawn, engraved, painted, or stamped directly on the surface.
A terrestrial globe shows the outlines and main features of the earth's land and water areas. Some globes show political and cultural features, such as countries, states, and cities. Those that show relief have variously raised land surfaces to represent the elevations of mountains, valleys, plains, and other features.
Being round, globes are more accurate representations of the earth than are flat maps. Globes allow distances, areas, and directions to be seen fairly accurately. Globes can be used to determine great circles and thus aid ocean and air navigation. ( Like maps, globes show lines of latitude and longitude. ( )
The oldest known terrestrial globe was made by Martin Behaim in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1492.
Celestial globes show the positions of heavenly bodies as they appear in the sky. The heavenly bodies are plotted on the surface of the globe, and all appear to be the same distance from the earth. Celestial globes were made many centuries before terrestrial ones. The oldest one known, 6 1/2 feet (2 m) in circumference, dates from about 300 B.C .
