This is a complete geographical reference work for home, college or business use, providing full-colour maps, detailed gazetteer entries and up-to-date statistics for every country in the world. Each nation is profiled, with text detailing the main features of landscape, history, culture, economy and politics. Tables highlight statistics on area, population, resources, languages, religion, currency and economic performance. Climate graphs provide information on local weather patterns. Also featured is the 32-page introduction to world geography. This section combines maps, charts, diagrams and text to help explain key themes including the structure of the Earth, the Solar System, the environment and economics.