Full of clear, detailed maps, this beautifully designed world atlas is the perfect companion for discovering our planet. Originally published in 1997 and now in its 10th edition, the Essential World Atlas includes all recent border, place name, and flag changes around the world, including the new nation of South Sudan and the annexation of Crimea. A series of 12 global thematic maps on subjects as diverse as ocean currents and languages gives a general introduction to the world today. These are followed by the main atlas, which includes more than 60 full-color regional maps featuring political and state borders; main population and administrative centers; and main lines of communication, ports, and airports. In addition to these maps, this clear, informative, and affordable atlas also includes a fully cross-referenced index-gazetteer featuring 20,000 places, data profiles of each country, plus a glossary of geographical terms, making it the perfect reference tool to distill the mass of information in today's world into the essential facts needed to help understand our ever-changing planet.