Reviews

DK's updated fifth edition of its Atlas A-Z is half atlas, half fact-filled gazetteer and provides more than 260 detailed, full-color maps featuring dramatic terrain modeling. World political, physical, and time-zone maps precede the "World's Regions" series of 62 spreads of physical maps with factoids. The gazetteer section, "World Factfiles," is introduced by political maps of the five major continents and Australia/Oceania.ÅIn it, entries are provided alphabetically for 196 counties and include information on the official flag, geography, climate, people and society, and economy as well as a map and an "insight" ("80% of Madagascar's plants and many of its animal species are found nowhere else"). A box at the foot of each gazetteer entry lists the country's official name, date of formation, capital, population, total area, density, languages, religions, ethnic mix, government, and currency. An additional section treats in less detail more than 60 "overseas territories" grouped alphabetically under the administering power. Data may include flag, status, date claimed, capital, population, and area. The place-name index has more than 6200 entries providing page number and grid-square access. The binding is such that the two-page maps are completely legible. National Geographic's handy Compact Atlas of the World is the smallest that the society has published. With 87 maps to browse, it can easily fit in a pocket. The "Thematic World" section is made up of global political data plus political, physical, human population, land cover, plate tectonics, climate, and geographic-extremes maps. Each continent is introduced with its own geographic extremes feature, followed by political, physical, population, natural hazards, and land cover, as well as climate and water-availability maps. Regional full-color political cartography with detailed, digitally painted terrain modeling completes the coverage in which Australia and Oceania and the polar regions receive less detail than other places. A "World Flags" section is also provided. The place-name index has more than 7300 entries indicating page number and grid-square access. VERDICT Fully up-to-date, both atlases reflect the most recent geopolitical changes, including the world's newest nation, South Sudan, and the flags of all independent countries, with the latest designs for Libya, Malawi, and Myanmar (Burma). The NG atlas offers access to more place names, but the DK title is an amazing ready-reference "pocket guide to the world today."-Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.