Atlas of the World: Seventeenth Edition

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Product DescriptionThe only world atlas updated annually, guaranteeing that users will find the most current geographic information, Oxford's Atlas of the World is the most authoritative atlas on the market. Full of crisp, clear cartography of urban areas and virtually uninhabited landscapes around the globe, the Atlas is filled with maps of cities and regions at carefully selected scales that give a striking view of the Earth's surface. Opening with world statistics and a colorful, instructive 48-page Introduction to World Geography--beautifully illustrated with tables and graphs--this acclaimed resource provides details on numerous topics of geographic significance, such as climate change, biodiversity, energy, and landforms. The popular satellite image section has been refreshed with stunning new images of Denver (clearly showing how the natural barrier of the Rockies affects population spread), Kabul (which shows in vivid detail how that city is encircled by mountains), and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. All census information and country descriptions have been updated to reflect the latest developments around the world. Completely new to this edition is a section titled "Will the World Run Out of Food?," which discusses world food distribution and how this has changed rapidly in recent years, based on data collected by Rothamsted Research, the oldest research station in the world. A new section on world shipping piracy explores the rise in piracy, especially off the coast of Somalia, and the effects on the World Food Programme. Maps throughout have been updated to include such new features as the World Financial Center (the world's third tallest building) in Shanghai, new international airports in India and South Africa, administrative changes in Iceland, Bulgaria, and elsewhere, new national parks in Denmark, and many more.Providing the finest global coverage available, the Atlas of the World is not only the best-selling volume of its size and price, but also the benchmark by which all other atlases are measured.Take a Look Inside The Atlas of the World Topography of Asia [PDF]: Asia is the largest continent in size and houses over half the Earth’s population. The Great Wall of China in Asia is the only man-made super structure that can be seen from space. Will the World Run Out of Food? [PDF]: Did you know that the world’s population is predicted to increase to 9 billion by 2050? Learn how the current rate of population growth is affecting our global food supply. Satellite Image of Haiti [PDF]: This image was shot shortly after the catastrophic earthquake in January 2010. Port-au-Prince, the capitol and chief port of Haiti, is located just miles from the quake’s epicenter. Satellite Image of Afghanistan [PDF]: Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, now has a population of over 3 million. It is southeast of the runways of the international airport, which can be seen in this image. Map of Shanghai and Singapore [PDF]: Take a closer look at Shanghai, China. The Shanghai World Financial Center is at the heart of the city, towering 101 floors above ground level.

Product Description

"Fascinating, top-of-the-line. Highly recommended." --Library Journal "Besides an immense compendium of maps, it's something of a world almanac and encyclopedia of geography, offering myriad stats on hundreds of countries in the world. I find it admirable that Oxford doesn't try to hedge its ink-and-paper bet by throwing in a redundant DVD or CD of the sort we've come to expect from many reference guides." --Craig Silver, Forbes.com "The new Oxford Atlas of the World, besides featuring maps of the entire world, is also home to some amazing photography, taken from high above the Earth's surface." --GOOD Magazine.com "This large and high-quality book isn't just a dry compilation of maps, it also provides an overview of many important topics like global food production, energy production, the atmosphere and climate change, how the oceans work, etc. A great learning experience." --Treehugger.com "Great and useful to have." --Eric Alterman, TheNation.com"Fascinating. Dazzling." --Entertainment Weekly "Wondrous." --The Seattle Times"Everything about this reference work is top-notch, from the full-color satellite images to the comprehensive indexing...Librarians looking to update a general reference atlas collection won’t go wrong with this useful and attractive volume." --School Library Journal