The world seen from above the North Pole, from which everything radiates southward. The central meridian, at 30°W, shows Greenland in its familiar north-up orientation; on the far side of the Pole, the Russian Far East appears upside down, as in any polar projection. Terrain, glaciers, vegetation, rivers and seafloor are drawn from Natural Earth, the ArcticDEM and SRTM elevation models and 2022 MODIS imagery.
A deliberate choice by the author: average sea ice is not shown, as its extent varies so much from year to year. This map was created by Tom Patterson, a retired US National Park Service cartographer and co-creator of the Equal Earth projection, and we print it to order in our Premium Edition collection, close to you: in Germany for Europe, in Canada for North America.
🗺️ Map content
- Polar projection centred on the North Pole, central meridian 30°W
- Shaded relief from ArcticDEM and SRTM, land cover from MODIS (2022)
- Seafloor, coastlines, rivers, lakes, peaks, borders and populated places from Natural Earth v6
- North magnetic pole positions from NOAA
- Version 1.0, May 2025
📐 Two sizes available
- Original size — 119 × 125 cm (47 × 49 in) — the size intended by the author, for maximum visual impact and readability
- Reduced size — 83 × 88 cm (33 × 35 in) — the same map reduced to 70% for smaller spaces; the smallest names are best read up close
📌 Available finishes
- Gallery-quality satin photo print — printed to order close to you and shipped in a tube: in Germany on Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II satin photo paper for Europe, in Canada on 240 gsm satin photo paper for North America. Ships within 5–8 business days
- Acrylic (Plexiglass) 3 mm, matte finish — rigid mount with a modern look, ready to hang. Ships within 5–8 business days
🎯 Perfect for
- Polar, exploration and climate enthusiasts
- Teaching geography and Earth sciences
- Pairing with our Atlas of Canada North Circumpolar Region map
- Elegant, educational wall décor
📋 Specifications
Original title: Physical Features of the Circumpolar North
Author: Tom Patterson
Language: English
Projection: polar, centred on the North Pole
Sizes: 119 × 125 cm (47 × 49 in) | 83 × 88 cm (33 × 35 in)
Version: 1.0, May 2025
Type: physical map
The top of the world, from an angle that changes everything.
