All of us notice it everyday. From news reports

to novels, travel brochures, and foreign vis-

itors, we see the world grow smaller.

We hear about new plans, wonder about

different customs, Our economy is affected by

a strike in Lesotho. Our government responds

to an emergency in Kuwait. We read about

the pleasures of the beaches of Sri Lanka. And

we want to know more. Where is it? Who

lives there? How do they live?

From tiny San Marino or sophisticated

Monaco to the vast plains of the USSR and

the rolling prairies of the United States of

America, all the nations of the world and their

dependencies are described in this new pic-

torial atlas. Their climate, chief resources and

products, the currency; the vegetation,

geographic features, and animal life - all, and

more, are covered in The Golden Picture

Atlas.

For ease of reference, the book is organized

by continents, with the countries arranged

alphabetically. Each continent section begins

with an introductory article where all the

strands are gathered together showing how

the countries interrelate. Separate articles

outline the politics, history, culture, and

economy of each country - why the nations

are as they are.

The longest rivers, the highest mountains,

the largest lakes, and the most important

towns are listed. Concise, quick-reference

tables give each nation s flag, cal~ital, area,

population, and economic resources.

There are more than 100 comprehensive,

up-to-date maps - a large, detailed map for

each continent and for most countries, as well

as many maps for regions such as the

Caribbean, West Africa, and Indonesia.