UK, Europe and world maps
Because the world is a sphere, it is difficult to accurately project this on a two-dimensional map. When the world is flattened to fit on a piece of paper it is distorted. This makes some countries appear bigger than they are, compared to others, and the shape of land masses is changed slightly.
Compare these two A way of showing the Earth as a flat map. This is difficult to do as the Earth is a sphere.:
Image caption, Peters Projection
The Peters Projection is an area accurate map.
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The world has seven continents and five oceans.
Europe is a continent. It is an area on the Earth that contains many different countries, including the UK.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is made up of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The countries are divided further into regions.
Counties are smaller areas. For example the counties of Dorset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Devon and Cornwall are all part of the South West region.
Image caption, Map of the world's continents and oceans
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