A terrestrial globe is a meticulous miniature model of the earth, a careful scale copy of the planet we inhabit. To see the whole world as it truly is, we must look at a terrestrial globe; it is the only map that reveals the actual dimensions and shapes of all lands and seas, the true distances, and their geographical relationships.

Immensum in Parvo (the immense in small) is the motto of ancient globe makers, and generally of all reproductions of celestial bodies.

Most modern globes include parallels and meridians, so that a location on the planet’s surface can be located. They are usually mounted on an angle that represents the equinoctial inclination (23.5 degrees), that is, the difference between the earth’s axis and that of the sun, which explains the existence of the different seasons. Most Anglo-Saxon globes also include the analemma, the curve describing the sun observed from the same point and at the same time, for 365 days of the year.