This updated (2013) world map is imported from the Natural Earth project (the 1:50m resolution version). It replaces a much older version based on the CIA World Data Bank II data.
That older version is still included in the package and can reached as legacy_world.
Usage
data(worldMapEnv)
Format
The data file is merely a character string which
specifies the name of an environment variable which contains the
base location of the binary files used by the map drawing functions.
This environment variable (R_MAP_DATA_DIR_WORLD) is set at package load time if it does not
already exist. Hence setting the environment variable before loading
the package can override the default location of the binary datasets.
During a transition period (maps version 3.0–1) it is possible to switch to the old legacy map using the function world.legacy(TRUE) or by setting the setting the environment variable R_MAP_DATA_LEGACY=TRUE prior to loading the package.
Details
As of version 3.1, the world database no longer contains any lakes. These have been moved to a separate database called lakes.