old_contents: from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
  from mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1.inset_locator import inset_axes
  import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
  from matplotlib.patches import Polygon
  import numpy as np
  
  
  # Set up inset map
  fig = plt.figure()
  ax = fig.add_subplot(111)
  bmap = Basemap(projection='lcc',width=6000.e3,height=4000.e3,lon_0=-90,lat_0=40,ax=ax)
  bmap.fillcontinents(color='coral', lake_color='aqua')
  bmap.drawcountries()
  bmap.drawstates()
  bmap.drawmapboundary(fill_color='aqua')
  bmap.drawcoastlines()
  plt.title('map with an inset showing where the map is')
  
  # Inset South America Location Map
  axin = inset_axes(bmap.ax,width="30%",height="30%",loc=4)
  
  omap = Basemap(projection='ortho',lon_0=-105,lat_0=40,ax=axin,anchor='NE')
  omap.drawcountries(color='white')
  omap.fillcontinents(color='gray') #color = 'coral'               
  
  bx, by = omap(bmap.boundarylons, bmap.boundarylats)
  xy = list(zip(bx,by))
  mapboundary = Polygon(xy,edgecolor='red',linewidth=2,fill=False)
  omap.ax.add_patch(mapboundary)
  
  plt.show()
  
new_contents: from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
  from mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1.inset_locator import inset_axes
  import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
  from matplotlib.patches import Polygon
  
  # Set up the primary map
  fig = plt.figure()
  ax = fig.add_subplot(111)
  bmap = Basemap(projection='lcc',width=6000.e3,height=4000.e3,lon_0=-90,lat_0=40,ax=ax)
  bmap.fillcontinents(color='coral', lake_color='aqua')
  bmap.drawcountries()
  bmap.drawstates()
  bmap.drawmapboundary(fill_color='aqua')
  bmap.drawcoastlines()
  plt.title('map with an inset showing where the map is')
  
  # axes for inset map.
  axin = inset_axes(bmap.ax,width="30%",height="30%",loc=4)
  
  # inset map is global, with primary map projection region drawn on it.
  omap = Basemap(projection='ortho',lon_0=-105,lat_0=40,ax=axin,anchor='NE')
  omap.drawcountries(color='white')
  omap.fillcontinents(color='gray') #color = 'coral'               
  bx, by = omap(bmap.boundarylons, bmap.boundarylats)
  xy = list(zip(bx,by))
  mapboundary = Polygon(xy,edgecolor='red',linewidth=2,fill=False)
  omap.ax.add_patch(mapboundary)
  
  plt.show()
  
subject: fix comments.