National Geographic Picture Atlas of The World

National Geographic, long known for their superior geography research and products entered the software market several years ago. Although Picture Atlas of the World may not be the fanciest CD-ROM on the market, it is very easy to use. It also contains enough information for all but the most serious geography student.

I particularly enjoyed the simplicity of this program. All to often programs are so full of information that they become cumbersome and intimidating. When you first start this program, a very nice tour shows you around the place and teaches you how to manipulate the globe and access the information. Any child over the age of eight will do fine with this program. There are no 3-D maps, or fly by shots of the country, but there are plenty of easy to read and up to date maps. Because of their simple design, these maps also print well.

As you click on a country, you can view one of four maps. A general map, a map which highlights cities, a transportation map and a media map. When you click on the media map, icons will appear which will lead you to photos, videos and essays about the country. If you want to check out a neighboring country, simply put your cursor on the border and click. The new map immediately appears. For this reason, exploring the globe becomes rather easy.

You can of course search for specific cities or countries by typing in the name. As you access the information screen for each country, you will find pictures of the flag, very good samples of speech, music, videos in some cases, vital statistics and longer essays. If your child is doing a report, or simply creating a "tour guide" during his studies, capturing information is as easy as clicking the mouse. Any map, text or media clip can be saved in a special file. Your child can then organize this information in a manner which makes sense to him or her. I found this program a great way to do simple reports, especially for younger children who may be overwhelmed by the amount of information in other programs.

Several video "lectures" are included on the CD. I found these very valuable. One deals with how time zones were originally established and how they function. A second deals with distortion factors in map making, always a difficult thing to explain. The third teaches your child about longitude and latitude and how they function and are helpful to navigation.

If your child is a geography genius, this program may not have the meat he or she is looking for. If, on the other hand, your child wants to explore the globe and does not have extremely high scholarly needs, this is a terrific program. The price may be a bit steep, so look for sales on this one. It is two years old, so you may be able to find a good bargain if you search.

Grading:

Educational value- 4
Entertainment value- 21/2
Use of medium- 3
Age- 8+

Sorry, this program is not available. Watch for it on Ebay.com, or See other National Geographic programs at Amazon!