Fun and Educational Wall Maps: Gifts for Kids

Looking for the perfect gift that is both fun as well as educational? We've picked out the top educational wall maps as perfect gifts for kids this holiday season! Give the gift that looks awesome on their bedroom wall and is a useful tool for homework reference and exploring the world! Educational wall maps are available for every grade level and age.

Cindy is halfway through first grade. We’re choosing a colorful World Deluxe Political Wall Map with protective lamination. We used poster putty to adhere the laminated wall map close to the ground, next to her coloring table. She has special dry erase markers she can use to decorate the world wall map.

Jennifer is in the fifth grade. She has a big test at the end of the year in which she has to write down every state and its capital by memory. The US Flags Wall Map has more than enough information to help her study! We recommend the US Wall Map with wooden rails so the map can be pulled down and revealed for study time.

Abraham is entering high school next year. He’s already into WWII weapons and machinery, so the World War II Europe Wall Map is the perfect choice for his interests as well as his World Cultures Class. We choose the magnetic wall map so he can track the location of troops as he reads more about the war.

Find Wall Maps for Kids

• Wall Maps on wooden rails
• Shop Wall Maps by Grade
• World, USA, Continent, State Wall Maps
• Historical, Social, Political and other wall maps
• Wall Map Bundles for classrooms or gifts

Gift Guide: Contemporary & Stylish Wall Maps for Her

Welcome to our series of Gift Guides for the Holidays 2013.

Looking for the perfect gift for her? From the most popular wall décor to practical travel items, mapsales.com offers a wide selection of gifts for every personality!

The Most Popular Gifts for Wall Map Décor

• Recognizable Wall Maps of the World
• Popular Wall Maps of the USA
• In political, physical, satellite and antique styles!

Give Her Inspiration for Her Travels

• Over 200 countries around the world
• Explore Canada
• Maps of Every State in the USA

Invite Her to Explore the Outdoors

• National Park Maps
• Topographic Maps for hiking
• Any map can be printed on synthetic paper, perfect for traveling and hiking in any weather

Personalize her gift with her name and a special date; simply call us to personalize her wall map! 

1-888-434-6277

Map News: This Month’s Best Articles and Maps

I've scoured the web for the most interesting Map News this month for all you map-lovers!

Map Comic this month from Savage Chicken

New Maps of Alaska: : New mapping data changes what we know about the landscape of Alaska, with some data that hadn’t been updated for 50 years! The results? The highest mountain in North America, Mount McKinley, is shorter than previously thought…Read More

Even with a GPS, You Can’t Get There From Here: Join us on a road trip through Maine, where getting lost with a GPS is painfully easy. Get your paper maps ready for visiting the rural portions of the USA…Read More

Where is the Center of Each United State? And why would you care to know? Some interesting and some funny insights…Read More

What Did the Continents Look Like Millions of Years Ago? Features an interview with artist-geologist Robert Blakey. This article goes into serious depth and really shows the making of these astounding maps in detail. The comment section is pretty interesting as well!…Read More

Facts for Features: Halloween: Did you know the Census Bureau publishes a series on dates and holidays? It boosts interesting facts gathered from all over the immense census database. For example, 47,800 acres of pumpkins were harvested in the US in 2012! Read More Halloween Facts

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Weekly Map News

This Week in Maps

Sharing your one-stop list for interesting mapping, geography, GIS, and cartography news, articles and new maps!

Atlas of True Names - Find the literal meaning of any location! USA and Canada atlases released this year.

This is Your Brain on Maps - Humorous article showing how distorted the human head looks on popular map projections. A powerful example of the difficulties of displaying a 3-D globular object on a 2-D space.

'Squatch Watch: 92 Years of Bigfoot Sightings in the US and Canada - Mapping Bigfoot Sightings, Joshua Stevens finds a correlation between high sightings and low population that narrows down possible locations...mapping fun, even if you don't believe in Bigfoot!

Sea Monsters: A Voyage Around the World's Most Beguiling Map - A fantastical exploration of bizarre and imaginary creatures, by Joseph Nigg, published by University of Chicago Press last month.

Where Are NASCAR Race Tracks Located?

Brand New Map Shows Where NASCAR Race Tracks are Located

Ever wonder where all the racetracks across the USA are located? Visualize your favorite and new racetracks with the new Racetracks of the United States Wall Map from publisher MarketMAPS. 

This racetrack map features 29 major racetrack locations across the USA and everything you need to keep track of your favorite races!

Answer these questions with the Racetracks Wall Map!

• What's the longest race track?
• Which auto race track has the weirdest shape?
• Where's the closest superspeedway to your location?
• What's the schedule for the 2013 NASCAR races?

Imagine planning a cross country road trip to visit all 29 major racetracks! 

We love the bold, bright colors on this map and the starting flag symbols representing cities. The larger flags represent higher-population cities.

Explore the Racetracks Wall Map in greater detail at mapsales.com!

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The Best Wall Map Ideas for the Home

Ever see those beautiful maps on Pinterest and wondered where to buy them and how to decorate with maps? We've scouted out some beautiful wall map decor ideas for the home, and how you can get the same maps!

Bold USA Wall Map for the Bedroom

This USA Wall Map looks great over a master or guest bed. The blue, red and yellow primary color scheme is consistent throughout the room. Following the color scheme in a map is an easy way to make design choices for a room!

We found where to buy this USA Executive Wall Map below!

Get this USA Executive Wall Map!

A Wall Map Across the Entire Wall

This room is one of our favorites, and it's popular on pinterest as well! The white and brown color scheme allows the blue of the beautiful oceans to really pop.

I just imagine having an intimate dinner here with friends just back from vacation. We'd be able to see exactly where they'd gone on this map! And, we found this same Political Wall Map for sale online. You can get it as large as 9x12 feet!

Political World Wall Map

Unusual Thematic Wall Maps for Modern Decor

This wall map hangs over the bed with wooden railings. Just like an old vintage classroom map!

The stark white combined with bright pops of color add life to the room. The hanging lights draw the focus further to the focal piece of the room, the World Climate Wall Map! This unusual wall map features bright bold colors for a modern design.

World Climate Wall Map Available on Spring Rollers

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How To Get Permanent Marker Off Laminate Maps

Did you accidentally use a permanent marker on your laminated map? Don't give up! Try this for a quick fix!

"I swear it said Dry Erase!"

1. Take a regular dry erase marker and mark over the permanent mark, completely covering it
2. Wipe off the marks as usual with a dry eraser or cloth.

That should take the permanent marker on your laminated map (or poster!) right off!

Just as Good as New, USA Outline Wall Map!

Is GIS the Future? Prepare for New Jobs with Educational Wall Maps

GIS stands for Geographical Information Systems, systems designed to capture, manipulate, and present all types of geographical data. It combines technology, geography and data in ways that are quickly changing all aspects of life and how we approach the world. But are our children prepared to become the experts in this field? mapsales.com takes a look at the future job report, GIS innovations and educational wall maps to find out.

Recently in the news, we’ve heard reports about GIS being used to help fight crime in New York, Los Angeles and now Australia. The UN recently promoted the use of GIS in disaster risk reduction, preparedness and emergency response. All of these new innovations mean that GIS is an emerging sector of the workforce.

More jobs are a good thing, right? Not if Americans are ill-equipped to fill those positions.

In this letter to Congress, a former teacher urges everyone to support the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act. He explains that “There is an enormous demand in both the public and private sectors for people with the ability to interpret and analyze geographic data. There are 70,000 new jobs in geospatial technology each year, but we are not training Americans to fill them.”

Educational Wall Maps - World

It is important to educate young Americans in the way that will best prepare them to take over governance of the USA. This includes immersing children with educational wall maps, and encouraging them to have an opportunity to become interested in the world. Most importantly, starting to do so at a young age. Think about encouraging geographical skills that could help the world and shop by grade level for Educational Wall Maps.

Do you agree that GIS will be the way of the future? How should we prepare our children for a technological world?

Alaska's Frontiers: Mapping Strategies for Mineral Resources

Alaska is known as the last US frontier, this Alaska Wall Map shows the vast land rich in minerals. The most difficult part is knowing what areas are important to mine and what areas shouldn't be mined. Here’s where mapping plays a key role. State geologists are mapping the potential of geographical areas from the land and air.

Why is Alaska so geologically important?

Part of that involves being located on the edge of the Pacific crustal plate. That also means multiple volcanoes and unpredictable weather. According to geological surveys, 40 million acres of state land possess high potential for mineral deposits. Only an eighth of this land has been mapped.

Alaska Wall Map

Top resources from Alaska include gold and oil, and they account for a large amount of Alaska’s wealth. Alaska also produces zinc, silver, copper, platinum as well as sand and gravel.

But state geologists are interested in rarer minerals. The strategy is to map areas with minerals strategic for military technology and/or that we import from other countries. This list includes: platinum group antimony, barite, chromite, cobalt, fluorite, gallium, graphite, indium, platinum group elements, rare earth elements, rhenium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, yttrium and niobium. 

Producing these minerals would make the United States less reliant on importing them from other countries, saving money on technological advances. But mining takes a toll on any environmental system. By knowing exactly where the highest concentrations of minerals are located, environmental impact could be lessened.

Is it worth mining rare minerals and harming Alaska’s ecosystems for the economic independence?

Planning a Cruise? Carnival Cruise Ship Stranded

A fire on Sunday debilitated a Carnival Cruise Ship in the Gulf of Mexico. More than 4,200 people are on board without power or plumbing. Two tugboats will be required to tug the larger-than-Titanic Carnival Triumph. The ship had drifted north and is expected to arrive in Mobile, Alabama on Thursday. Until then, other ships have brought much-needed supplies.

Zoom in to find Mobile, Alabama on this Countries of the Caribean Wall Map

Because of plumbing issues, many passengers are sleeping in the hallways or on the deck. With limited access to bathrooms, food and hot coffee, passengers are forced to simply wait it out until they get tugged to port.

Cruises are a popular type of vacation. For the ticket price, a passenger gets pampered while visiting different countries or islands. While passengers may brave getting off the ship to explore different ports for a period of time, they are able to return to the ship in time to enjoy a lobster dinner and hot tub soak. For those unwilling to trust flights, foreign hotels or food, it is a way to safely explore some of the world.

Take a cruise or backpack in the wild?

However, many people commenting on the yahoo.com top stories report who have plans to travel on a Carnival cruise later this year are debating or flat-out stating that they will cancel their cruise. We may see a decrease in cruise ship vacation popularity. Perhaps we will see an increase in other types of travel vacations, traveling by flight or car with visitors venturing farther into foreign countries, beyond the tourist-geared ports. When planning your vacation, be sure to ask around, explore some maps, and research your location first!

This Antique Countries of the Caribbean Wall Map shows the Gulf of Mexico with shipping lines. Zoom in to find where the Carnival Triumph will be towed: Mobile, Alabama.

Which would you rather do: take a cruise, or backpack in the wild?

How Businesses use Demographic Data To Increase Sales and ROI

US personal income rose 2.6 percent last month, the largest increase in eight years, according to the Commerce Department. Although tax increases are due to start this month, the increase is still well above the 0.8 percent expectation. How do businesses use income information to increase their own sales and ROI? They look at a demographic map.

Census.gov features tools to visualize certain census data. “Islands of High Income” is an interactive map showing median income across the US. Viewers move the sliders to see counties of the US that have median household income greater than any increment between $18,000 and $110,000. However, data sources are from 2006-2010, so the visualization is a very general overview of the state of median household incomes across the US.

Businesses looking for up-to-date and more accurate data usually have to do the work themselves. With new technology, it’s becoming easier and easier for businesses to receive up-to-date data and maps.  Demographic Wall Maps of any County, State, or custom area in the US show population, median household income, number of households and median age within that area.

Businesses use these maps to understand their target markets in their areas, targeting areas with a certain income level or of a certain age group to increase sales. They add sales and order data to understand where their customers are already located. 

Using demographic data is not only for large businesses with an expert dedicated to geographic information systems (GIS); mapping data is becoming more affordable and easier to use in various formats. A map, report or interactive web application are some of the different ways everyday business analysts or owners are using demographic maps to increase sales!

Lights Seen from Space: Cities…and Lightning Flashes?

Severe storms have been sweeping across southern states for the last two days and are now currently spreading across eastern parts of the United States. So far the storms have included 430 thunderstorm reports, 20 large hail reports and nine tornado reports.

Last night, the Suomi NPP satellite snapped a photo of not only city lights but also lightning flashes from the storm. In this photo, the satellite captured lights from several major cities not covered by clouds including Atlanta, Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Also visible are lights not associated with any city; these lights show lightning flashes from the severe storm.

Satellite imaging technology allows us to view the world in great detail. Satellites are able to capture daytime images  that keep our database of roads, buildings, and topography up-to-date. They also warn us of impending natural disasters, as well as perspective on the damage they caused. But at night, we get a view we could only imagine before our ascent into space:

Earth at Night Map

Maps of satellite images from space showcase the entire world at night. Taken from series of images from cloudless nights over a year period to show the clearest rendering of topography and lights, this map shows a unique perspective of the world. Zoom in on the Earth at Night Map to see details of the night sky from space! These lights include urban areas, forest fires and natural gas burn off. This map would make a great gift or decor piece for anyone who loves space, travel or technological art.