World Map

Map of the World 2023

Above we have a new world map for 2023. Not much has changed since 2019. Brexit is destined to happen now that Boris Johnson won a thumping majority in the UK parliament. However that does not affect the borders marked on this map at all. The United States Department of State recognizes 195 independent countries but not all are shown on this map because some are to small for the scale of the map.

This is not a terrain relief map it is a political map of the world. So it does not show all the different topography that some of our other maps shop. This world map was designed a quick and easy reference to all the major countries in the world. It also references all the populated continents including Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Australasia (Australia).

As a political map it shows all the current boundaries for the countries represented and shows comparative size of the countries in question. Some distortion may occur as the earth is a sphere and this map of the world is a flat representation. Most distortion will occur around the equator as that is where the earth bulges due to its rotation.

If there is a change in borders during the year 2023 we do one of two possible procedures. The map above will be replaced by a new map or we will add the changed map into the page as it stands.

Above we have a World Map with continents and Regions in different colors. Here at Map of Europe we realized that many users coming to our site wanted to look at a map of the world and the continents and regions.

World Map with Countries

World Map with Continents and Countries 2023
World Map with Continents and Countries

We have a Political World Map below with countries outlined but we have been asked many times to breakout the continents in the map to make them more obvious. We have done this above and this image will become the foundation of our “World Map 2020”. The year 2019 has not ended so the final layout for the chart above has not been finalized. The above image is an easy to use learning guide for schools and colleges. This page will become a repository for all future maps of the world from now on.

Continental borders are a little ambiguous and fluid at the moment and we tried to cater for this by adding some regions.

Below is a list continental border anomalies.

  • Western Russia is marked as being part of Asia even though generally it is considered part of Europe. We did this because we felt there was room on the web for a simpler version of a world map, one that ignored some of the border ambiguities.
  • We have added the Middle East as a region. This was due to many users emailing us and asking how does the middle east relate to the rest of the world.
  • Australasia is marked in aqua and this region is sometimes referred to as Oceania. This is not strictly accurate but like we said above these matters are somewhat ambiguous. Strictly speaking the content is generally referred to as just Australia.
  • Egypt is marked as Part of Africa above. While this is strictly correct it could have also fallen in under the region of the Middle East.

This map is not meant to be a definitive or even strictly accurate depiction of the world. As we said earlier that tends to be fluid anyway. This map is meant to be a quick reference guide for students and teachers to use when doing geography or cartography on the fly.

Political Map of the World

A world map is usually a map of the surface of the Earth, which is often made utilizing any one of a variety of map projections. Maps of the world in most cases are either ‘physical’ or ‘political’, but there are exceptions to this rule. The goal of the physical map is usually to demonstrate attributes of geography like mountains, soil variety or even land utilization.
The most crucial function of the political map is to demonstrate territorial borders and political boundaries. These are not always clear cut but most political maps of the world will try and give you a best match fora certain point in history. Geological maps demonstrate not just the physical surface area, but attributes of the underlying rock, fault lines, and sub surface structures.

When travelling the world and taking advantage of cheap flights, it is important to get travel insurance. It will give you that extra peace of mind, knowing that even if you luggage doesn’t make it. You will not be left out in the cold. There are many types of travel insurance, so pick the right one for you. Some of the types that are most commonly used are Medical Travel insurance, Trip Protection, Luggage and Car Rental Protection and Delay coverage.

World Map for 2019.

Has much changed since we added World Map 2018 ? Not really. There are still wars raging in the middle east that threaten to change the face of the world map but borders have not been redrawn as yet.

There is still Putin’s Russia pressurising the Ukraine, which has potential to change the face of the world map and redraw some borders in Europe.

Africa is surprisingly stable for now and not much has changed on that continent.

China’s military is becoming more recalcitrant in the the South China Sea and some of the islands and atolls it has squatted on have the potential to change China’s borders but with an increasingly aggressive president in the USA, we might see some flash points in this area.

Here at Europe map, we now have a Europe Map for 2019.

This is possibly the best and most easily read political map of Europe

 

World Map 2019
World Map for 2019

Click above – World Map for 2018.

It is basically a political world map although it does not use the traditional political map colors. Those colors are so 1995 anyway.

In this world map we include all the countries of the world and their related capital cities. It is a relatively large map at 2908 pixels by 1467 pixels. Also, it shows the relationship between the new Europe map and the other continents in the world. Another good reference for world maps is this page on Wikipedia.

map of the world

Another thing that makes this map of the world stand out is that it includes all the little island archipelagos of the world. So if you are going to one of those remote holiday destinations like the Canary Islands. On this map you will be able to see where it relates to the rest of the world.

If you want to enlarge the map click on it and then click on the little “x” in the top right corner to get the biggest possible version of the map. You will have to scroll around it as it generally to large for most computer screens.

One of the new countries it lists is South Sudan, which is probably Africa’s most recent country. other non European countries that are listed are New Zealand, Mexico, Thailand and North Korea.

Some European countries that are listed are FranceGermanyIcelandCroatia and Denmark.

Enjoy the free use of this map of the world and we hope to bring you guys more in the near future.

We kept the  Old World Map below:

World Map with Continents

A simple World Map
Click on the World Map above to zoom in

List of Countries in the World and the Capital Cities ordered by population

 

Country Capital Population Area (km²)
China Beijing 1,444,216,107 9,596,961
India New Delhi 1,393,409,038 3,287,263
United States Washington, D.C. 331,002,651 9,525,067
Indonesia Jakarta 273,523,615 1,904,569
Pakistan Islamabad 225,199,937 796,095
Brazil Brasília 213,993,437 8,515,767
Nigeria Abuja 211,400,708 923,768
Bangladesh Dhaka 166,303,498 147,570
Russia Moscow 145,912,025 17,098,242
Mexico Mexico City 130,262,216 1,964,375
Japan Tokyo 126,476,461 377,915
Ethiopia Addis Ababa 114,963,588 1,104,300
Philippines Manila 112,610,042 300,000
Egypt Cairo 102,334,404 1,002,450
Vietnam Hanoi 97,338,579 331,210
Germany Berlin 83,783,942 357,022
Turkey Ankara 84,339,067 783,356
Iran Tehran 83,992,949 1,648,195
Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa 89,561,403 2,344,858
Thailand Bangkok 69,799,978 513,120
France Paris 65,273,511 551,695
United Kingdom London 67,886,011 242,500
Italy Rome 60,461,826 301,340
South Africa Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) 59,308,690 1,219,090
Tanzania Dodoma 59,734,218 947,303
Myanmar Naypyidaw 54,409,800 676,578
Kenya Nairobi 53,771,296 580,367
South Korea Seoul 51,269,185 100,210
Colombia Bogotá 50,882,891 1,141,748
Spain Madrid 46,754,778 505,990
Uganda Kampala 45,741,007 241,550
Argentina Buenos Aires 45,376,763 2,780,400
Ukraine Kyiv 44,209,733 603,550
Algeria Algiers 43,851,044 2,381,741
Sudan Khartoum 43,849,260 1,861,484
Iraq Baghdad 40,222,493 438,317
Afghanistan Kabul 38,928,346 652,230
Poland Warsaw 37,846,611 312,696
Canada Ottawa 37,742,154 9,984,670
Morocco Rabat 36,910,560 446,550
Saudi Arabia Riyadh 34,813,871 2,149,690
Uzbekistan Tashkent 33,469,203 448,978
Peru Lima 32,971,854 1,285,216
Angola Luanda 32,866,272 1,246,700
Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 32,776,194 330,803
Mozambique Maputo 31,255,435 801,590
Ghana Accra 31,072,940 238,533
Yemen Sana’a 29,825,964 527,968
Nepal Kathmandu 29,136,808 147,516
Venezuela Caracas 28,435,940 916,445
Madagascar Antananarivo 27,691,018 587,041
Cameroon Yaoundé 26,545,863 475,442
Côte d’Ivoire Yamoussoukro (official), Abidjan (economic) 26,378,274 322,463
North Korea Pyongyang 25,778,816 120,538
Australia Canberra 25,203,198 7,692,024
Niger Niamey 24,206,644 1,267,000
Sri Lanka Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (official), Colombo (executive and commercial) 21,413,249 65,610
Burkina Faso Ouagadougou 20,903,273 274,200
Mali Bamako 20,250,833 1,240,192
Romania Bucharest 19,237,691 238,397
Malawi Lilongwe 19,129,952 118,484
Chile Santiago 19,116,201 756,096
Kazakhstan Nur-Sultan 18,776,707 2,724,900
Zambia Lusaka 18,383,955 752,618
Guatemala Guatemala City 17,915,568 108,889
Ecuador Quito 17,643,054 283,561
Syria Damascus 17,500,658 185,180
Netherlands Amsterdam (official), The Hague (seat of government) 17,134,872 41,543
Senegal Dakar 16,743,927 196,722
Chad N’Djamena 16,425,864 1,284,000
Somalia Mogadishu 15,893,222 637,657
Zimbabwe Harare 14,862,924 390,757
Guinea Conakry 13,132,795 245,857
Rwanda Kigali 12,952,218 26,338
Benin Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (seat of government) 12,123,200 114,763
Burundi Bujumbura 11,890,784 27,834
Tunisia Tunis 11,818,619 163,610
Bolivia Sucre (constitutional), La Paz (administrative) 11,673,021 1,098,581
Belgium Brussels 11,589,623 30,528
Haiti Port-au-Prince 11,402,528 27,750
Cuba Havana 11,326,616 109,884
South Sudan Juba 11,193,725 644,329
Dominican Republic Santo Domingo 10,847,910 48,671
Czech Republic Prague 10,708,981 78,866
Greece Athens 10,423,054 131,957
Jordan Amman 10,203,134 89,342
Portugal Lisbon 10,196,709 92,090
Azerbaijan Baku 10,139,177 86,600
Sweden Stockholm 10,099,265 450,295
Hungary Budapest 9,660,351 93,028
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi 9,890,400 83,600
Belarus Minsk 9,449,323 207,600
Honduras Tegucigalpa 9,904,607 112,492
Israel Jerusalem (internationally unrecognized) 9,053,300 20,770
Papua New Guinea Port Moresby 8,947,024 462,840
Togo Lomé 8,278,724 56,785
Serbia Belgrade 8,737,371 77,474
Switzerland Bern 8,654,622 41,290
Sierra Leone Freetown 8,153,936 71,740
Hong Kong Hong Kong 7,474,600 1,104
Laos Vientiane 7,275,560 236,800
Paraguay Asunción 7,132,538 406,752
Bulgaria Sofia 6,948,445 110,879
Lebanon Beirut 6,825,445 10,452
Libya Tripoli 6,871,292 1,759,540
El Salvador San Salvador 6,486,201 21,041
Nicaragua Managua 6,624,554 130,373
Kyrgyzstan Bishkek 6,524,195 199,951
Turkmenistan Ashgabat 6,031,200 488,100
Singapore Singapore 5,896,686 728
Denmark Copenhagen 5,792,202 42,916
Finland Helsinki 5,540,720 338,424
Slovakia Bratislava 5,459,642 49,035
Norway Oslo 5,421,241 323,802
Eritrea Asmara 3,546,421 117,600
Costa Rica San José 5,094,118 51,100
Central African Republic Bangui 4,829,767 622,984
Ireland Dublin 4,937,786 70,273
New Zealand Wellington 4,822,233 270,467
Oman Muscat 4,974,986 309,500
Country Capital Population (2021) Area (km²)
Croatia Zagreb 4,105,267 56,594
Kuwait Kuwait City 4,270,571 17,818
Panama Panama City 4,314,767 75,420
Georgia Tbilisi 3,989,167 69,700
Mongolia Ulaanbaatar 3,329,289 1,564,116
Armenia Yerevan 2,963,243 29,743
Lithuania Vilnius 2,722,289 65,300
Jamaica Kingston 2,961,167 10,991
Qatar Doha 2,881,053 11,586
Namibia Windhoek 2,540,905 825,615
Lesotho Maseru 2,142,249 30,355
Slovenia Ljubljana 2,078,654 20,273
Latvia Riga 1,886,198 64,589
Botswana Gaborone 2,351,627 581,730
Gambia Banjul 2,416,668 10,689
Guinea-Bissau Bissau 1,968,001 36,125
Gabon Libreville 2,225,734 267,668
Mauritania Nouakchott 4,649,658 1,030,700
Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain 1,399,488 5,131
Estonia Tallinn 1,326,535 45,227
Eswatini Mbabane (administrative), Lobamba (legislative, royal) 1,160,164 17,364
Timor-Leste Dili 1,318,445 14,919
Cyprus Nicosia 1,207,359 9,251
Djibouti Djibouti 988,000 23,200
Fiji Suva 896,445 18,272
Guyana Georgetown 786,508 214,969
Bhutan Thimphu 771,608 38,394
Comoros Moroni 869,601 1,861
Solomon Islands Honiara 686,884 28,896
Macao Macao 649,335 32
Montenegro Podgorica 628,066 13,812
Luxembourg Luxembourg City 634,814 2,586
Western Sahara Laayoune 597,339 266,000
Suriname Paramaribo 586,632 163,820
Cape Verde Praia 555,987 4,033
Malta Valletta 441,543 316
Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan 437,479 5,765
Bahamas Nassau 393,244 13,878
Belize Belmopan 397,628 22,966
Maldives Malé 540,544 298
Iceland Reykjavík 366,130 103,000
Vanuatu Port Vila 307,145 12,189
Barbados Bridgetown 287,375 430
São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé 219,159 964
Samoa Apia 198,414 2,842
Saint Lucia Castries 183,627 617
Kiribati South Tarawa 119,449 811
Grenada St. George’s 112,523 344
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Kingstown 110,940 389
Tonga Nuku’alofa 105,695 747
Micronesia Palikir 115,023 702
Seychelles Victoria 98,347 455
Antigua and Barbuda St. John’s 97,929 442
Andorra Andorra la Vella 77,265 468
Dominica Roseau 71,986 751
Marshall Islands Majuro 59,190 181
Saint Kitts and Nevis Basseterre 53,192 270
Monaco Monaco 39,242 2
Liechtenstein Vaduz 38,128 160
San Marino San Marino 33,931 61
Palau Ngerulmud 18,169 459
Nauru Yaren (de facto) 10,756 21
Tuvalu Funafuti 11,792 26
Vatican City Vatican City 825 0.44

Map of NATO 2023

In 2023, Finland finds itself at a crossroads in its foreign policy. For decades, the country has remained neutral, seeking to balance its relationship with both Russia and the West. However, recent events in the region have sparked renewed discussion about Finland’s potential membership in NATO, a move that would fundamentally alter the country’s strategic position.

Map of European Member States of NATO as of April 2023

European memebers of NATO
European memebers of NATO (as of April 2023)

The impetus for Finland’s potential shift towards NATO membership comes from the increasingly aggressive behavior of Russia under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin. The annexation of Crimea in 2014 and subsequent destabilization of eastern Ukraine has alarmed many in the region, particularly those countries with Russian minorities or historical ties to the former Soviet Union. For Finland, which shares a 1,300 kilometer border with Russia, the threat of aggression is particularly acute.

Moreover, Russia’s recent military exercises and the increased frequency of Russian military flights over the Baltic Sea have raised concerns about the potential for accidents or incidents in the region. The close proximity of Finland to these activities means that the country is particularly vulnerable to any escalation of tensions.

North American Member States as of April 2023

North American member states of NATO
North American member states of NATO (as of 2023)

For these reasons, many in Finland have begun to seriously consider the benefits of joining NATO. Membership in the alliance would provide the country with a clear security guarantee, allowing it to benefit from the collective defense capabilities of the organization. It would also send a strong signal to Russia that any aggression against Finland would be met with a strong response from the international community.

However, there are also significant drawbacks to joining NATO. Perhaps most importantly, it would likely further inflame tensions with Russia, potentially leading to a more aggressive stance from Moscow. It would also complicate relations with other neighbors who have chosen to remain outside the alliance, such as Sweden and Finland’s other Baltic neighbors.

Complete list of the 31 Nato Nations (as of April 2023)

Country Membership Year
Belgium 1949
Canada 1949
Denmark 1949
France 1949
Iceland 1949
Italy 1949
Luxembourg 1949
The Netherlands 1949
Norway 1949
Portugal 1949
The United Kingdom 1949
The United States 1949
Greece 1952
Turkey 1952
Germany 1955
Spain 1982
Czechia 1999
Hungary 1999
Poland 1999
Bulgaria 2004
Estonia 2004
Latvia 2004
Lithuania 2004
Romania 2004
Slovakia 2004
Slovenia 2004
Albania 2009
Croatia 2009
Montenegro 2017
North Macedonia 2020
Finland 2023

The possibility of Sweden joining NATO is also a topic of discussion in 2023. Like Finland, Sweden has long maintained a policy of neutrality, but recent events have caused some in the country to reconsider this stance. In particular, the 2022 Russian invasion of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania has raised concerns about the vulnerability of the Baltic region and the potential for Russian aggression against Sweden.

However, unlike Finland, Sweden is not geographically contiguous with NATO member states, which makes joining the alliance a more complicated proposition. It would require significant investment in military infrastructure and capabilities, as well as a shift in the country’s foreign policy priorities. Sweden would also need to navigate the complicated politics of NATO membership, including the potential for opposition from other Nordic countries, particularly Finland.

Which European nations are not in NATO?

  • Andorra
  • Armenia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Cyprus
  • Georgia
  • Ireland
  • Kosovo
  • Liechtenstein
  • Malta
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Russia
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Ukraine
  • Vatican City

The possibility of both Finland and Sweden joining NATO in the near future has significant implications for the broader security landscape of the region. It would bring two new countries into the alliance, increasing its size and capabilities. It would also further isolate Russia, potentially leading to a more aggressive stance from Moscow. Moreover, it could complicate relations between NATO and other countries in the region, particularly those with historic ties to Russia.

At the same time, there are significant risks associated with both countries joining NATO. It could further inflame tensions with Russia, potentially leading to a more dangerous security environment. It could also complicate relations between Nordic countries, particularly if Finland and Sweden have different perspectives on the benefits and risks of NATO membership.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to join NATO is a complex one for both Finland and Sweden. It requires careful consideration of both the benefits and risks of membership, as well as an assessment of the broader security landscape in the region. In 2023, the debate over NATO membership in these countries is likely to continue, with significant implications for the future of the region.

Some experts have suggested that Finland and Sweden could potentially seek a form of hybrid or associate membership in NATO, which would allow them to benefit from the security guarantees provided by the alliance while maintaining some degree of independence in their foreign policy. However, this approach could also be seen as a half measure, leaving these countries vulnerable to potential aggression from Russia without the full protection of the alliance.

Another factor that could influence the decision of both Finland and Sweden is the evolving political landscape in Europe and the United States. The rise of populist and nationalist movements in many European countries, as well as the increasingly isolationist stance of the United States under the Trump administration, has led to questions about the continued viability of NATO and other international institutions. This could create a sense of uncertainty and instability that could make it more difficult for these countries to commit to NATO membership.

Despite these challenges, there are strong arguments in favor of Finland and Sweden joining NATO. The alliance remains the most powerful military organization in the world, with the ability to deter potential adversaries and respond to threats quickly and effectively. Moreover, NATO membership would bring Finland and Sweden into closer alignment with the values and interests of other Western democracies, creating new opportunities for collaboration and cooperation.

In the end, the decision of whether to join NATO will likely come down to a calculation of risk versus reward. Finland and Sweden must weigh the potential benefits of membership against the potential costs, taking into account the complex political, economic, and security factors at play in the region. The decision will be difficult and may be influenced by a range of internal and external factors, but it is clear that the debate over NATO membership will continue to be a major topic of discussion in the region for years to come.

Time Zone World Map

Why Do We Need a Time Zone World Map

The planet earth is broken up into regions we call time zones. They basically follow the cycle of the sun as the earth spins and different parts of the world face the sun. Humans need to sleep and we generally do this activity at night time. In this era of transcontinental corporations and business enterprises, time zones are more important than ever.

Time Zone World Map
Time Zone World Map

The world timezone map begins and ends at Greenwich a suburb of London in the UK. The map is based around what was formerly known as Greenwich mean time but is now known as Coordinated Universal Time. The World Map we have above is centred in Greenwich and to the left and right are the farthest points away from this line and are -11 hours away from Coordinated Universal Time. The countries in this furthest timezone are territories like American Samoa and the Jarvis Islands. Interestingly it is these tiny little countries that are the first to celebrate new years every year.

Each timezone is one hour in length so there are 24 separate time zones as there are twenty four hours in a day. You can see that the each timezone on the world map above is not straight. This is because time zones only apply to landmasses above the oceans and will generally try to take sovereign territories into account. Islands are generally included with the large landmasses that are nearby although in cases like Indonesia that is one big archipelago there are multiple time zones spread across the country.

How Many Time Zones Are There In Europe?

There are 4 time zones in Europe. The UK, Portugal, Ireland and Iceland are grouped together in the 0 UTC. Norway, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy Germany, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia are all grouped together in +1 UTC. Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Roumania, Bulgaria and Greece are grouped together in +2 UTC. Finally we have Russia, Belarus and Turkey grouped together in +3 UTC, although it is still debatable if Turkey is considered part of Europe.

There have been arguments to increase the length of each time zone to 2 or 3 hours. Pundits feel this would simplify things as it would reduce the number of time zones and countries like the USA would only have 1 time zone and just use daylight saving to adjust for daylight hours. Realistically this would actually just make things more difficult for individuals even if business would probably applaud the innovation.

Speaking of business and time zones. There are places around the world like Adelaide in Australia that should technically be 1 hour behind the large and influential cities of Sydney and Melbourne but have agreed to adjust the time zone purely for commercial reasons. So instead of being +9 UTC, for all intense and purposes Adelaide is +9.5 UTC.

The International Space Station is travelling at 17,500 mph (28,000 km/h) and can do 16 revolutions of the earth in a day. It is therefore passing through multiple time zones a day. Astronauts aboard the ISS log events against GMT/UTC just to simply procedures.

 

 

 

 

Pokemon Go Regional Exclusives Map

Pokemon Go Regional Exclusives Map

Pokemon Go has swept the world by storm. We here at Map of Europe all play the game. In pokemon Go there are pokemon that can only be found in certain regions. These are called regional exclusives and here we have a map that will help Pokemon Go traveler work out what regional exclusive is likely to be caught in the area that they are in.

The 6 regional exclusive pokemon are as follows:

  • Tauros – found in North America, mostly in the USA.
  • Heracross – Found in South America, although it can be found in southern parts of the USA like Florida.
  • Mr Mime – Found in Western and Central Europe.
  • Kangaskan – Found in Australasia, mainly in Australia.
  • Farfetch’d – Found in East Asia. Countries like Japan, North and South Korea.
  • Corsola _ This pokemon is interesting as far as we can tell it is found in a band that stretches across the whole globe. The band is roughly between between the latitudes of 31 North and 26 South.

So there you go Pokemon Trainers, get out there and catch those rare Pokemon.

 

Russia Loves Donald Trump

Russia loves Donald trumpMost other G20 countries around the world favor Clinton over Trump but not Russia. looking at the image above you can see that Clinton has a lead over Trump in almost every other G20 country. unsurprisingly Clinton has the biggest lead in Mexico, the country that the Donald wants to wall of from the USA. Even china prefers Clinton over Donald but not Russia.

I guess the Russians love their flamboyant, over the top, strongman heads of state. In some ways the Donald is like America’s version of Putin and so it makes sense that the Russians would gravitate towards him.

One interesting point is that Canada is near the bottom of approving of Hillary over Trump. Being 3rd from the bottom is probably showing that Canada is not totally won over by the Clinton marketing machine and is more conservative than they are given credit for.