Submitted December 9

The following list represents the geographical sources I evaluated:

Citation: Chambers World Gazetteer.

*Note: The newer edition is titled Cambridge World Gazetteer. (1990). New York:           Cambridge University Press.

Purpose: To provide users with a geographical dictionary of world places, listed alphabetically by city.

Authority: Compiled with computing facilities in the Department of Geography at the University of Edinburgh.  Sources consulted include statistical yearbooks, chambers of commerce, university departments.

Scope: Worldwide information on cities, regions, countries, physical features, national parks, international economic and cultural regions. Since it is recognized that it is impossible to include all places, admission criteria is first order administrative divisions, capitals, secondary administrative divisions, and special interest locations (such as historic, religious, tourist places).

Format: Book is divided into the following sections: preface, guidance notes, specimen entry, abbreviations and contractions, key to pronunciation, abbreviation of international organizations, conversion guide, acknowledgements, gazetteer, and world atlas.  Color.  Two columns per page.

Entries: Places are in bold text. Information includes pronunciation, a brief description, and statistical information.  Variety of pictures: charts, maps, tables, etc.  Entries vary in length – they can range from 3-20 lines.

Overall evaluation: Easy to interpret.  Abbreviations are not used in abundance.  Recommended for library use.

Citation: Historical Atlas of the World.

            * A number of libraries where search, none containing this book.  Therefore, the following comparable historical atlas was evaluated in its place:
            Ferrell, R. & Natkiel, R. (1993). Atlas of American History.  New York: Facts on File.

Authority: Robert Ferrell is a renowned historian and writer.  At the time of publication, he was teaching at Indiana University.  Richard Natkiel, who had retired by the time of publication, was the former head of the cartography department at The Economist.

Scope: This atlas contains 200 maps, supplemented by historical text.

Format: The atlas reads like a text book.  Sections are divided by time period. The information is written in user-friendly language. Maps are complimented by an equal amount of textual information. Also included are photographs. This information ranges from acquisitions of territories, battles, demographic and election results, the Great Depression, Prohibition, intervention in the Caribbean and Latin America, railroads, slavery, and women’s suffrage.

Overall evaluation: This book enjoyable to browse. It reads like a text book and is therefore recommended for obtaining historical information (not limited to quick reference). Even though a lot has transpired since its publication in 1993, the actual information itself will not be outdated.

Citation: The National Atlas of the United States of America. (1970) Washington, D.C.: U.S. Geological Survey.

Purpose: To provide “practical use to decision makers in government and business, planners, research scholars, others needing to visualize country-wide distributional patterns and relationships between environmental phenomena and human activities.”

Authority: Prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey and over 80 Federal agencies. Contributions come from commercial firms, universities, and individuals. So much work went into its publication that it took nearly twenty years to complete.

Scope: Over 400 pages of 765 different maps of the United States.

Format: Atlas is divided into four sections: contents, general reference maps (41,000 place names); special subject (or thematic) maps, including distributional patterns and man-environment relationships; and an index to map subjects. Scales range from 1:500,000 to 1:34,000,000.  Nice use of color. Keys/symbols are clearly stated and easy to understand. Text accompanies map, providing further explanation. Maps vary in style (roads, blocks, linear,) depending on the information being depicted.

Overall evaluation: Although somewhat outdated, it is clear that a lot of effort went into this publication.  Reliable authority makes it a worthwhile atlas to have on hand, as not all of the material would be outdated.  Maps are very comprehensive and depict a variety of information and statistics (i.e. maps are not limited to roads).

Citation: Rand McNally Road Atlas: United States, Canada, and Mexico. (1998). Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.

Authority: Updated on an annual basis, it is the work of skilled editors and cartographers.  Users are encouraged to give their feedback to the editors.

Scope: Over 100 pages of maps of the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Format: Atlas contains two sections: travel planner and maps, in addition to an index.  The maps vary in size and the number on each page.  The majority of the states are given two pages for one map (left and right side of page).  Entries in the index are arranged alphabetically by state, followed by alphabetic cities within the state.  Information given in the index is the population and location on the grid.  The index would have been more useful if a page number was also given.  Maps are vibrantly colored. In addition to the map, background information on each state, such as the nickname, population, capital, and largest city, is provided.

Special feature: “America’s love affair with the road” section, which is actually a timeline of the development of America’s roadside culture. Also included is a complimentary copy of “All American Roads and National Scenic Byways.”

Overall evaluation: Although the maps are comprehensive, I was not impressed by the excessive advertisements in the atlas.  This was distracting and unnecessary.  The maps themselves were very useful.  Keys and symbols were clearly defined.  However, the index would have been more useful if a page number was given for each entry.