As in past editions, the Atlas also boasts 66 maps of major metropolitan areas worldwide, an extensive index, and a colorful 48-page Introduction to World Geography, providing a wealth of information on such topics as climate, the greenhouse effect, prate tectonics, agriculture, population and migration, global conflicts, and much more. For the eighth edition, there is an eight-page section of satellite images, providing insight into how dues expand and rivers create life in the desert. It also boasts an innovative new map program -- a feature without rival among world atlases -- new digital metro mapping with detailed city center plans for more than half of the major cities of the world. These digital maps allow readers to get a much dearer sense of the physical and cultural disposition of important cities, showing major streets and points of interest such as museums, monuments, and other sites of historical or cultural significance. This section also boasts its own 10,000 entry index for instant access to the places readers want to find most.

Providing the finest global coverage available, Atlas of the World is the benchmark by which all other international atlases will be measured.