this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2026
84 points (98.8% liked)

Map Enthusiasts

6216 readers
19 users here now

For the map enthused!

Rules:

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Hello Map Enthusiasts!

I was looking through old boxes from my childhood and found my grandfather's old globe. I recall each of us using it to look at different countries and learn where they all are. When I opened up the box now, more than a decade after his passing, I decided I wanted to know more about it.

The label says that it is a Cram Imperial Globe, and I looked up how to date the globe based on which countries are in existence on it. I determined that this globe must have been made between May 1990 and October 1990 because it has a unified Yemen on it, but still has East and West Germany on it.

It's in pretty decent shape for its age I think. There are spots where I think grandpa had to tape the equator back on it haha

top 8 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] grue@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I looked up how to date the globe based on which countries are in existence on it.

Obligatory XKCD: https://xkcd.com/1688/

[–] Ludicrous0251@piefed.zip 10 points 4 days ago

Flow chart checks out, (# of Yemens + # of Germanies) = three

[–] neonchaos@piefed.social 11 points 4 days ago

That's pretty awesome! My grandfather had a globe I used a few times that had the USSR and Palestine on it.

[–] klu9@piefed.social 4 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Cool!

But looks to me like it has 2 Yemens:

[–] Tidesphere@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Update! I did miss it, but I looked and it has the Marshall Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, and a few other things that tell me that it is at least post 1986, right?

[–] GenosseFlosse@feddit.org 3 points 3 days ago

Yougoslavia and East Germany didn't exist past 1990 if that helps.

[–] klu9@piefed.social 2 points 3 days ago

I don't know enough to determine that :) At least post-1979, as that's when the Marshall Islands became a country.

[–] Tidesphere@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Oh did I miss it?? I'll have to go look again!