Author(s): Macmillan

Atlases

The Macmillan Illustrated World Atlas is the ultimate family reference. It combines sophisticated cartography, newly created for this atlas, with hundreds of photographs, satellite views, illustrations, diagrams, and charts to document our world as never before. This atlas was developed under the guidance of an international body of cartographic and specialist thematic map consultants.

Planet Earth is introduced with a survey presented through detailed thematic maps, covering topics as diverse as our place in space, Earth's structure, climate, wildlife, natural resources, envrionment, exploration, population, religions, languages, indigenous peoples, transport and communications, economics and governments.

At the core of the atlas are more than 60 maps portraying the landscape of our planet. Each continent is introduced by four thematic spreads focusing on satellite images of the region, its land and environment, its history and political structure, and the human impact upon its environment. The beautifully rendered regional maps that follow feature clear, accurate, and up-to-the-minute cartography, supported by land use and population maps, photographs, architectural illustrations, and three-dimensional views. Together with an informative and accessible text, each spread provides an exciting and visually compelling snapshot of the area. Detailed maps of the four major oceans and Antarctica accompany the regional coverage.

Supplementing the maps is an extensive reference section, including geographical comaprisons, a time zones map, a glossary, a fact file tabulating the vital statistics of