Frequently Asked Questions

• FULL LIST OF FAQS

Maps of the World

1. Can I print multiple copies of the maps or use a map within a publication?
2. What is a wildcard and how do I use it to get a map?
3. Why can't I find the map I require?
4. Why is a place name incorrect?
5. Why is the map out of date?

1. Can I print multiple copies of the maps or use a map within a publication?

   Please feel free to print up to 10 copies of a single map for personal use only. We regret to inform you however that the maps on our website cannot be copied or downloaded. This is because they are provided by external suppliers, and we are legally obliged to comply with their copyright laws.
   
   As we do not currently offer the option to buy world maps in hard copy, paper or digital format, you are more than welcome to purchase maps from the following websites:
   
   Stanfords
   Collins Bartholomew

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2. What is a wildcard and how do I use it to get a map?

   A wildcard is a system whereby you can enter a partial place name followed by an asterix and this will search the database to help you find what you are looking for. For example: if you are looking for a city but are unsure how to spell it you can enter part of the place name, i.e., Ber* if you were looking for Berlin. This will produce a list of options, and you can then click on the one you are looking for.

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3. Why can't I find the map I require?

   We have street level mapping for many countries but not yet for the whole world. Consequently you may not be able to find the exact scale of map you require.
   
   We are constantly adding to our world map data so please keep visiting the site for updates.

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4. Why is a place name incorrect?

   We receive quarterly updates from our World map suppliers and having accurate data on the site is very important to us. The inaccuracies that are reported to us generally fall into four categories;
   
   1) Typo or reading errors - These are real spelling mistakes in the data. Letters which visually look similar are usually in this category. For example; "i" and "l", "b" and "h"
   
   2) Transliteration - This is the process whereby an unsupported foreign character set or alphabet is converted to the simple Latin alphabet that we use on the site. There are different ways that our suppliers use to translate this information and the place names in question may have several different spellings, all of which are correct depending on the method of translation.
   
   3) Old Names - There are name changes in the world every week and sometimes we do not get information on the change or we may be waiting for the change to filter through into future updates of the data.
   
   4) Politically disputed names - In some parts of the world, the political situation is delicate and therefore some places have several different names.
   
   Our map data comes from various suppliers and while we appreciate all feedback, we cannot overwrite the data immediately upon receiving your comments. Instead, we pass all comments on to our suppliers in order to have the information changed at source. This can be a lengthy process.

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5. Why is the map out of date?

   Our map data comes from different suppliers and when physical geography changes, it can take some time for this to be accurately reflected within the digital data sets supplied to Multimap.
   
   Our digital data sets are updated regularly, so please keep visiting the site and hopefully any errors will be automatically corrected within the next few updates.

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