Cortical maps often contain global spatial structure: however, theoretical accounts for their development have generally concentrated on reproducing only local structure. We show that the elastic net model of cortical map formation can closely approximate the global structure of the ocular dominance column map observed in macaque primary visual cortex. A key component is the assumption of spatially non-uniform and anisotropic correlations in the retina. This work shows how genetic and epigenetic effects could combine to establish characteristic global structure in cortical maps.