World Maps by Years

This map of the Holy Land features beautiful cartography combined with copious historic, religious, and geographic facts about this land of faith and conflict. Printed in December 1989 as part of the "Special Places of the World" series.

Published in February 1997 with the Dawn of Humans map and article, this compelling work contains illustrations of the various hominid species discovered. A timeline and other information puts the dawn of early man into perspective.

This fascinating map contains a wealth of information on our quest to discover the history of our prehistoric ancestors including fossil sites, information on significant hominid finds, and the challenges researchers face. Published in February 1997 with the "Seeking Our Origins" companion map, this work also includes maps which show the vegetation zones 125,000 years ago, 65,000 years ago, and today.

Like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, slabs of rocky crust known as tectonic plates fit together to form the outer shell of the Earth. This world map shows the contintents, along with the lines of each tectonic plate, demonstrating the reaction between continental drift, earthquakes and volcanoes.

This physical world map strikingly captures the lands and oceans of the Earth. See mountain ranges, river valleys, deserts, continental shelves, and ocean floor in amazing detail and beauty. Published in February 1994.

This political world map continues the long tradition of fine cartography for which National Geographic is known. Published in 1994.

The "Water: Precious Resource" map contains a wealth of information on surface water, ground water, water pollution, and water usuage. This map was published in National Geographic in November 1993 in a special issue devoted to water. A map of the United States also accompanied it.

A beautiful companion to the Solar System map that appeared in the same issue, this compelling work illustrates the varied faces of the planets in our solar system. Published in August 1990 with two articles, "Neptune: Voyager's Last Picture Show" and "Voyage of the Century," this work shows the planets scaled to relative size, their portraits made from actual images taken from various spacecraft.

Half of a two-page layout on the Holy Land, this educational supplement teems with details of the history of the land held sacred by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. An extraordinary illustration of Jerusalem notes important sites and the Crossroads of Empires inset reveals the history of the region's occupation. Printed in December 1989, this work stands alone or perfectly compliments the map of the Holy Land that appeared in the same issue.

We are in a historical transition between a world inherited and one that is profoundly different a global biosphere whose vital functions we have altered. Burgeoning human numbers have placed unprecedented demands on farmland, forests, and other resources, changing the continents green skins of vegetation, as well as the interactions between atmosphere, land, oceans, and living organisms that sustain life on earth. This map shows these interactions and pinpoints growing threats. A wonderful resource for learning more about the delicate balance between development and natural regeneration of the planet.

Explore the fascinating world of the Maya with this map published in October 1989. This map accompanied the "Land of the Maya" map in the same issue and three articles on the Maya including "La Ruta Maya." This work features an abundance of information about trade, travel, and the landscape of their civilization, including an explanation of the various eras of Maya history.

This amazing map introduces the issues and challenges surrounding our Endangered Earth as we navigate a historical transition between a world inherited and one profoundly different -- a global biosphere whose vital functions we have altered. Published in December 1988, on the 100th anniversary of the National Geographic Society.

This world map combines the classic National Geographic cartographic style with several stunning inset maps to provide a comprehensive look at our planet. Insets include Eastern and Western Hemisphere physical geography, Religions of the World, and Population maps. Published on the National Geographic centennial in December 1988 as a companion to the article "Earth '88: Will We Mend Our Earth?"

An area teeming with activity since the English settlement of Jamestown, the Tidewater region includes the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. The Tidewater and Environs map, published in June 1988, provides a wealth of historical information about this vital maritime region. Part of the "Making of America" series, this map represents Side Two in a two-piece set.

This map of the United States region of the Carolinas, Virginia, and neighboring states contains an abundance of historical sites and notes. Published in June 1988 as half of a two–map set in the "Making of America" series.