The Survival overworld is a single map, but it is hosted in pieces called sectors. You usually never notice, apart from a brief switch when you cross a sector line and a strip near each line, and along the world edge, where you cannot build.
Sectors#
| World | Layout |
|---|---|
| Overworld | Four sectors of 35,000 x 35,000 blocks (a 2 x 2 grid centred on 0, 0), plus the spawn sector from -500 to 500 |
| Nether | One sector of 20,000 x 20,000 |
| End | One sector of 20,000 x 20,000 |
| Resource worlds | One sector of 5,000 x 5,000 each |
The sector lines of the overworld run along X = 0 and Z = 0 and around the edge of the spawn square. The live map draws them as Grid Edges, labelled Grid #N, with the spawn labelled Spawn. See Live Survival Map.
Crossing a sector line#
When you walk into a neighbouring sector you are moved to the server that runs it. The switch is seamless: it happens as you move, with at most a short pause. After a switch there is a 5 second cooldown before the next one, so running along a line does not bounce you back and forth.
The 32-block buffer#
Within 32 blocks of a sector line or of the world edge you cannot:
- place or break blocks, or use buckets;
- interact with blocks;
- let blocks grow, spread, fade or flow (fire, liquids, crops, leaves and pistons are stopped there);
- claim land. A chunk is blocked if any of its corners is within 32 blocks of the line.
You see "You can't build so close to the edge of a sector." or, when claiming, "You can't claim so close to the edge of a sector." Walk away from the line and the restriction ends. The same buffer applies along the outer edge of the Nether, the End and the resource worlds.
The world edge#
At the outer edge of a world you are stopped with "You have reached the edge of the world." and cannot walk further. The edge is at 35,000 in the overworld, 10,000 in the Nether and End and 2,500 in a resource world, measured from the centre on both axes.
Respawning#
Right-click a bed in the overworld to set your respawn point; chat confirms "Your spawn has been set!". After you die you respawn at that bed. Without one, or if the bed has been broken, you respawn at spawn. Only beds in the overworld count; a bed in a resource world does not set your respawn point.
Shared time and weather#
All sectors of the overworld share the same time of day and weather, kept in sync every 10 seconds. Spawn and the PvP world keep their own time and weather.
See also#
- The Overworld for the whole world
- Claiming Land for claiming rules