What is the purpose of the metal ring or semi-ring around some globes?
The metal ring (either full or half circle) is called a meridian. Normally, meridians are numbered (in degrees) from 0º to 90º (0º at the equator and 90º at either pole) and give the latitude for a place. Meridians were originally used to find locations on the globe. Since Replogle globes maps feature longitude and latitude lines, the numbers on the meridian are now less important. The meridian ring purpose is now to hold the globe ball in its tilted position.
