National Geographic Family Reference Atlas of the World, Third Edition

A modern atlas demands not just state-of-the-art cartography but a vast array of information organized clearly, efficiently, and above all, usefully—and that’s what the Family Reference Atlas provides: more than 1,000 maps, illustrations, and photographs; more than 400 charts and tables; and 30 global thematic spreads displaying key facts and figures on everything from biodiversity and the distribution of natural resources to world health and education, global Internet connectivity, and conflict and terror hot spots.

A comprehensive index makes it easy to pinpoint more than 40,000 locations all over the globe. Need to know the population of Brunei, what the weather’s like in San Juan in March, or how to use metric conversions? These answers and thousands more are at your fingertips. Readers learn about the planet itself—landforms, the biosphere, continental drift, environmental change—and the human world’s many dimensions, from political, religious, and economic data to population trends and the effect of globalization. The atlas even reaches beyond Earth to explore the solar system, the Milky Way, and the Universe.

National Geographic cartographers bring more than 90 years of mapmaking experience and cutting-edge technology to bear on every atlas product. Over the last decade, techniques used in digital mapping have undergone remarkable changes. Today, satellite and digital imaging technology, GPS, and GIS technologies provide cartographers with new tools to map and animate the Earth. Leveraging these emerging technologies to build smart, well-designed, functional, informative atlases is one of the great strengths of National Geographic.