National Geographic's World map is the standard by which all other reference maps are measured. The World map is meticulously researched and adheres to National Geographic's convention of making independent, apolitical decisions based on extensive research using multiple authoritative source. The Explorer style World map uses a vibrant color palette that fills each country for easy identification, stunning shaded relief, and a light blue background grid pattern that echoes the cartographic precision that underlies all National Geographic maps. Drawn in the Winkel Tripel projection, distortions are minimized and unlike many other World maps, Greenland is show the same size as Argentina and not as the size of all of South America.

Thousands of place names are carefully and artistically placed on the map to maintain legibility even in the heavily populated areas of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Details include clearly defined international boundaries, cities, physical features, rivers, and ocean floor features. Inset charts list the largest cities by population and the largest countries by land mass and population.