FUN WITH MAPS ISSUE 2026-066

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (April 22, 2026) – This edition of Fun with Maps acknowledges Earth’s resources and how they need to be protected.

hAPPY eARTH dAY 

Earth Day is the time to reflect on the amazing resource everyone shares – our planet Earth and its wonders.  The day is a time to reflect on treating nature with respect and ensuring that our limited resources will last for generations to come.

Earth is the only planet in our solar system not named after a Greek or Roman deity.  The word comes from our connection to it – what is literally at our feet.  Earth derives from the Anglo-Saxon word: erda, meaning soil or ground, which can also be traced back to Old English and Germanic variations meaning the same and similarly spelled.

Earth is 71% covered by water, and its longest mountain range is actually underwater.

The planet is estimated to be 4.54 billion years old and orbits the sun at a speed of 67,000 miles per hour.

This double hemisphere map of our planet is by Homann from 1746.  Notice that the northeast of North America is uncharted on this map.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps. Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.