This compact, easy-to-use format is the first product built on our cutting-edge cartographic database and offers the convenience of smaller scale without sacrificing clarity or detail. Identically scaled maps on a given continent enable readers to compare physical, political, and regional information simply and accurately. After a fascinating explanation of the latest technology, the atlas examines our world as a whole, presenting 25 global themes, from tectonics and the biosphere to population, health, literacy, and more, along with such timely topics as environmental stress and flash points for conflict and terror