Goodes World Atlas 23rd Edition Download Pdf
Martin Thrasher
Goode's Atlas is named for John Paul Goode, who created the atlas and served as its editor for many editions. Goode was one of the first U.S. academic cartographers. He was born in rural Minnesota in 1862, received his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota in 1889, and earned his doctorate in economic geography from the University of Pennsylvania in 1903. He spent much of his professional career at the University of Chicago. Among his many accomplishments he is perhaps best known for the development of the Interrupted Homolosine projection, which he first presented at the Association of American Geographers meeting in 1923, and which has been used extensively in Goode's Atlas and in many other geographic publications to the present day.
The Homolosine is a composite of two projections, the Mollweide (Homolographic) and the Sinusoidal. Goode interrupted the Homolosine over the oceans to minimize distortion of shapes over continental land masses. Lines of latitude on the Homolosine are straight lines, to facilitate analysis of comparative latitudes. Also, the projection is equal area. Goode was a strong proponent of equal area projections and an equally strong opponent of the Mercator projection, widely used in the early part of the 20th century for world maps. As Goode stated in the introduction to the 1st edition of the atlas (1923, p. x), the distortion of area on the Mercator projection is so extreme that "it becomes pedagogically a crime to use Mercator's map" for studies of areal distributions such as population density, rainfall, or sizes of countries.
Under Goode's editorship the atlas doubled in size. The 1st edition of Goode's School Atlas contained 96 pages of maps. The 4th edition (1932), the last edition that Goode would edit before his death, contained 174 pages of maps. Goode introduced many of the thematic map topics that are still found in the atlas today, including world economic maps of agricultural commodities, minerals, energy, and international trade. These topics reflect Goode's interest and training in economic geography.
Goode remained the only name on Goode's School Atlas until the 8th edition (1949), on which Edward B. Espenshade, Jr., was credited with numerous updates and revisions. Espenshade was then named editor for the 9th edition (1953). Espenshade was one of Goode's students and spent his academic career at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The 9th edition was significant in many respects. It boasted a new title, Goode's World Atlas, and contained many of the features of the modern atlas. In particular, Espenshade made extensive use of maps compiled by
experts in specific subdisciplines of geography. Examples include natural vegetation by A. W. Küchler, physiography by Erwin Raisz, climate regions by Glenn Trewartha, and agricultural regions by Derwent Whittlesey. By relying on the research of these and other scholars, Espenshade was able to incorporate the latest advances in the study of geographical phenomena. Espenshade also oversaw the creation of a new reference map series, which included hand-drawn shaded relief for the first time in the atlas. These reference maps were introduced in the 11th edition (1960).
Joel L. Morrison, then at the University of Wisconsin, joined Espenshade as associate editor on the 14th edition (1974). Morrison, who had a distinguished career in academia and the federal government, was affiliated with the atlas through the 19th edition (1995). In the 1970s and 1980s the atlas saw numerous innovations, including the introducti
Geographical information is available in a variety of formats for all audiences. A map is a depiction of certain boundaries of the earth; it may be a political map, showing boundaries for countries, states, counties, and cities. Other kinds include physical maps, which depict geographical features such as mountain ranges and bodies of water, or route (road) maps, which indicate highways, railroads, and the like. Most maps combine several of these features and provide a good deal of information about a geographical area.
Atlases are bound collections of maps. They may focus on a single state, a country or region, or the entire world. Some atlases will focus on a theme, such as historical, economic, or social changes; the rest are considered general atlases. Both maps and atlases are useful for showing the relationship of one place to another in geographic terms.
In addition to maps and atlases, there are other geographical reference tools, including gazetteers. A gazetteer is a dictionary of place names, giving location information and, often, thumbnail historical sketches of the places described.
The federal government is a major producer of maps developed by many agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Commerce, Agriculture and the Bureau of Land Management. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is the largest and best-known of government mapmakers; their topographic maps show detailed physical features including elevation. Maps and atlases are also produced by a few well-known and reputable commercial publishers, including National Geographic Society, Rand McNally, and Hammond. Prices for atlases can be considerable, but there are many desk atlases in a smaller size that are reasonably priced. In addition, interactive maps and atlases are now available on CD-ROM and on the Web.
Evaluate an atlas for currency by checking maps for areas where major political changes have occurred. Also check for legibility. Is the print clear and easy to read? Are the maps easy to use? Is there a useful index? Does the atlas have the features you need? For example, do you need a particular type of map, such as topographic, economic, or historical?
Times Atlas of the World: Comprehensive Edition. 10th ed. Times Books, 1999.
This is generally considered to be the most complete of the atlases; despite its being published in Great Britain, it provides excellent coverage of all areas of the world. One of its strengths is its thorough index, with references to latitude and longitude. A new edition is published every four to seven years. This is probably too pricey for small libraries but is certainly worth knowing about.
National Geographic Atlas of the World. 7th ed. National Geographic Society, 1999.
The National Geographic Atlas of the World is another excellent atlas with world coverage. While its main focus is the United States, coverage of other areas of the world is well-done. Features include a comprehensive index as well as brief articles on countries. Various kinds of maps can also be searched online at
Hammond World Atlas. 4th ed. Hammond World Atlas Corporation, 2003.
Completely updated, this edition features a new enhanced relief map style. This atlas includes thematic articles, master index, reference guide, and a comprehensive guide to using the atlas.
Microsoft Encarta Interactive World Atlas. Microsoft, 2001.
This CD-ROM atlas contains nearly two million place names, plus accurate, detailed maps in 3-D imagery. Users can zoom and pan to find locations, and add or remove place names, borders, and topographic detail to create custom maps for reports and presentations.
Goode's World Atlas. 20th ed. Rand McNally, 2000.
Of the smaller and less expensive desk atlases available, Rand McNally's Goode's World Atlas is a standard in schools and public libraries. It is revised on a regular basis. One of its strengths is the thematic maps that are useful for students.
The Road Atlas: United States, Canada & Mexico. Rand McNally.
Updated annually, this is probably the best-known road atlas. Maps for each state and Canadian province show distances between points. It includes inset maps of large metropolitan areas, a comprehensive index of places, road construction and road condition hotlines, state-by-state laws and regulations, mileage chart and mileage and driving times map. The low price makes it a good choice for libraries with limited budgets.
MapQuest. MapQuest.com.
MapQuest is an Internet atlas that produces road maps worldwide. Some useful features are driving directions (for the U.S. and Canada) from one address to another, and a road trip planner. It is found at
Historical Atlas of the United States. National Geographic Society, 1988.
The National Geographic Society (NGS) marked its centennial by publishing a comprehensive historical atlas (there are more than 100 historical maps). Thematic sections (e.g., the land and its people) are presented chronologically from 1400 to the present. The country's past is portrayed in a variety of ways, from the oldest maps to current demographic charts. This atlas is now out of print but second-hand copies are still available.
Gazetteers complement atlases and are an important part of your reference collection. They all contain lists of place names; additional information may include location (in relation to other places), population, and a brief history. They meet the needs of patrons who don't want to use a map or don't know where to start.
Columbia Gazetteer of the World, by Saul Bernard Cohen. 3rd ed. 3 volumes. Columbia University Press, 1998.
This comprehensive geographical encyclopedia contains names, descriptions, and characteristics of places in the world. More than 160,000 entries include: demography; physical geography; political boundaries; industries; cultural and historical points of interest; longitude, latitude, and elevations; pronunciations; and changes to names and spellings. This is also available on CD-ROM and on the Web for a fee at
Columbia Gazetteer of North America, ed. by Saul B. Cohen. Columbia University Press, 2000.
With 50,000 entries, this encyclopedia of geographical place names is taken from its parent work, the Columbia Gazetteer of the World. It contains every incorporated place and county in the United States, plus several thousand unincorporated places, special-purpose sites and physical features. It includes places in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean as well. It is available in print and also on the Web, at no charge, at