1. Ready Reference:
finding the “where”
online
Maps of World
By Anna Iwanski

2. What is it?
Basic Info
Mapsofworld.com was begun in 2003 with the
mission of making the maps available to
everyone. The site is affiliated with Google,
National Geographic and the International Map
Trade Association, which allow browsers to
purchase specific maps in addition to free online
viewing.
On their main page 
Any country can be accessed through clicking on
it to lead towards more specific information.

3. After choosing a country, one is presented with the full map of the area, for example:
The main map of Nicaragua
The other Nicaragua maps

4. Usability
•
•
•
•
•
All the maps I found to be easily readable, though they don’t appear to be able to be made
larger if a user needed them to be.
The structure of the maps- some complicated or unique—tend towards it satisfying a more
adult audience but younger audiences, such as middle school might enjoy perusing the wide
assortment of maps available to them.
Maps found can also be downloaded, emailed and printed, which increases the retrieval of
the information.
In order to use this resource, the user might need to have an idea of the information he is
seeking. For example, if he’s searching where are the largest mineral deposits, he would want
to go to a general world map rather than a specific country. Otherwise, one could happily
browse through the maps.
Otherwise, there are no subscription fees or limited accessibility. Anyone can see and enjoy
the information presented!

5. Navigation
•
The content is all free and easily usable.
The main navigation is through the main
breakdown of countries located at the top
of the page and the specific maps are near
the bottom of the page when that has been
selected; all the maps appear to be labeled
legibly and offer legends in the bottom left
corner.

6. What kinds of
questions can be
answered?
1. Where is the world’s largest army?
2. Where are the domestic airports within Australia?
3. Where are the nuclear power stations in South America?
4. Where is Syria?
5. Where were the 1904 Olympics hosted?
6. Where are all the national parks in the U.S?

7. Where is Syria?
This would be a question to consult
within a general area map.
This one was found within a large
version of the world political map.

8. Where were the 1904 Olympics
hosted?
This question requires a more
specific map.
And there is one:
According to this map, the 1904 Olympics
were hosted in St. Louis.

9. Where are all the national parks in
the U.S?
Again, this information can be found
on a specific map.
Going to the maps under the United
States, there is one titled USA National
Parks.

10. Further Information
Another thing I found helpful about the
website is that updates are continually being
made. For example, these are some of the
recent additions to the website.
This proves that the hosts of the website are
committed to providing relevant information,
adding to their authority.
With its range of information— from world
maps to state/country maps— the wealth of
information available on this website is
beneficial and accessible to all age users.

11. Further questions?
For more information about how to
unlock the full potential of Maps of
World, feel free to contact me at
iwananna@my.dom.edu

12. Maps of World. Compare Infobase Ltd. 19 Oct 2013.
Web. 20 Oct 2013.
All screenshots taken from website