The world is a common name for the whole of human civilization, or for the planet Earth and all life upon it. In terms such as world map and world climate, world is used in the sense detached from human culture or civilization, referring to the planet Earth physically. In a philosophical context the term may refer to the whole of the physical Universe, or an ontological world, described by Martin Heidegger as world disclosure. In a theological context, world usually refers to the material or the profane sphere, as opposed to the celestial, spiritual, transcendent or sacred. The "end of the world" refers to scenarios of the final end of human history, often in religious contexts. World history is commonly understood as spanning the major geopolitical developments of about five millennia, from the first civilizations to the present. In terms such as world religion, world language, world government, and world war, world suggests international or intercontinental scope without necessarily implying participation of the entire world. World population is the sum of all human populations at any time; similarly, world economy is the sum of the economies of all societies or countries, especially in the context of globalization. Terms like world championship, gross world product, world flags imply the sum or combination of all current-day sovereign states.

Read full article on Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA