NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ATLAS OF THE WORLD, NINTH EDITION

[Cathy Hunter]

From a press release dated Oct. 19, 2010:

State-of-the-art atlas provides depth and context to world events

WASHINGTON (Oct. 19, 2010)—National Geographic, the world's most
renowned cartographic authority, will unveil its most comprehensive,
current and compelling portrait of our planet when it publishes the
ninth edition of its signature NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ATLAS OF THE WORLD on Tuesday, Oct. 19.

The critically acclaimed NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ATLAS OF THE WORLD, NINTH
EDITION (National Geographic Books; ISBN: 978-1-4262-0634-4; $175
hardcover) conveys up-to-the-minute geopolitical and environmental
changes and highlights the most important and relevant topics gripping
our planet today. Through hundreds of detailed maps of the Earth, the
oceans and outer space, as well as 20 thematic spreads — covering topics
from urbanization trends and the impact of cities to health, human
rights and climate change — this state-of-the-art atlas covers vital
developments in the world in the reliable, authoritative style that has
made National Geographic a leader in this category.

The atlas, with its numerous fact boxes, charts and engaging design, is an
indispensable tool to help make sense of our complex world. "Our planet
is an infinitely connected place. In this globalized world, climatic,
economic, geopolitical, technological and demographic changes impact
each of us," said Juan José Valdés, director of editorial and research,
National Geographic Maps. "This new edition of our atlas tracks and
records the changing conditions on the ground and serves up imagery that
allows us to understand what is happening in even the most remote
corners of the Earth. This atlas highlights the most important
geographical themes and elements that could ultimately affect the
destiny of humankind, and provides us with the information we need to
understand our place in today's world."

World cultures, religions, languages and habitats are described in maps, images and
narratives that put a human face on statistics. Through the atlas's
pages, readers see the trends that are transforming populations and
economies around the world, and gain a deeper understanding of the
world's hot spots, both climatic and geopolitical.

This completely updated ninth edition has a wealth of new content. Eleven of
the 20 world thematic spreads cover new topics — population trends;
urbanization; the rise of city dominance; economic and environmental
impact of cities; health and wellness; the human condition; natural
hazards; biodiversity; agriculture and food; technology and
communication; and fuels and energy.

The topographic relief on the World physical and continental maps has been revised using the
latest digital terrain data. The atlas also includes nine brand new
regional plates: Greenland; the Amazon region; Greece and the Aegean
with Cyprus; the Caucasus; Iraq and Iran; the Arabian Peninsula;
Afghanistan and Pakistan; the Korean Peninsula; and the Horn of Africa.

The Oceans section is completely new, and the Space section has been fully
revamped and includes new imagery from the Hubble Telescope. The moon
map is based on a newly generated satellite mosaic superimposed over a
digital relief model; the Mars map more accurately portrays this
planet's terrain based on imagery derived from the Mars Orbital
Surveyor; the Solar System spread includes a new portrayal of the inner
and outer solar systems along with data and imagery of each planet. The
charts of the Milky Way and Universe also have been updated and revised:
A new chart of the Milky Way shows the latest understanding of our
galaxy's formation, and new, reconditioned Hubble and Spitzer imagery
portrays select features in the galaxy, such as Brahe's Supernova, Omega
Centauri Globular cluster, the heart of the Milky Way, the Butterfly
Nebula and the Carina Nebula. The Universe spread includes the addition
of the Kuiper Belt and a new Hubble Deep field image featuring the
oldest-yet observed galaxies and the new camera system's deepest view of
space.

The flags and facts section has been completely redesigned, rewritten and enhanced with additional data and improved
locator maps. Information includes geographic area, population and
population growth rate, type of government, life expectancy, religion,
language, currency, GDP per capita, resources, industry, exports and a
summary of each country. Flags and facts on U.S. states and Canadian
provinces also are featured.

The place-name index has increased by 16 pages since the eighth edition and has 10,000 additional entries.
The main index is now 142 pages; there also is a four-page undersea
features index, as well as moon and Mars place-name indexes with
listings of landing sites and the spacecraft involved. Other back matter
includes geographic comparisons detailing facts about the Earth and
planetary extremes; a time-zone map; a list of foreign geographic terms;
and metric conversion tables.

A free bonus feature is the inclusion of two loose antique-style wall maps of the Western and
Eastern hemispheres, suitable for framing.

The lavish NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ATLAS OF THE WORLD, NINTH EDITION provides depth and context
to global events — whether natural hazards, cultural clashes or critical
issues making headlines everyday. Offering a better view of the world
than any other atlas, it connects us to global trends and happenings and
is a must-have for every family library.

Note: For images from the atlas, including the cover, go to
http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/book_atlas/ [username: press | password: press]