What are the disadvantages of a globe?

A disadvantage of using a globe to find locations over a map is that a globe is too big or bulky to carry around. Similarly, a globe would need to be extremely large to show a small area in detail, such as a town or city, and only half of the globe is visible at any given time.

Advantages of using a globe instead of a flat world map include the former's ability to show the curvature of the Earth's surface and accurate distances. Unlike a world map, globes also accurately capture the sizes and shapes of countries.

Common characteristics found on both globes and world maps are longitude and latitude lines, the equator, prime meridian and the North and South Poles.