For anyone who has pondered the vastness of our universe, the rich variety of our planet, and the endlessly fascinating world of knowledge that surrounds us, National Geographic presents this timely volume, now fully updated and expanded. Exploring a full spectrum of topics, from earth sciences to astronomy, from climate and habitats to human arts and cultures, from ancient history to cutting-edge technology, this meticulously written and researched book is the ultimate family reference.

Table of Contents

• How many answers?
• DIRECT QUESTIONS ANSWERED
• FAST FACTS
• GLOSSARY ITEMS DEFINED
• FIND OUT MORE WEB LINKS
• SUPERLATIVES, DATES & STATISTICS
• THAT'S 1,507—AND THAT IS JUST THE BEGINNING…
• FOREWORD BY KATHRYN THORNTON
• ABOUT THIS BOOK
• CHAPTER 1. MAPS & GLOBES
• GEOGRAPHY
• THE WORLD IN MAPS
• THE HISTORY OF MAPPING
• GLOBES
• MAPMAKING
• MAPMAKING: MODERN MAPS
• MAPMAKING: ADVANCES IN MAPPING
• DIVIDING LINES
• DIVIDING LINES: TIME ZONES
• DIVIDING LINES: THE POLES
• DIVIDING LINES: EQUATOR & TROPICS
• NAVIGATION
• CHAPTER 2. THE UNIVERSE
• COSMIC BEGINNINGS
• STARS
• CONSTELLATIONS
• GALAXIES
• BLACK HOLES & DARK MATTER
• THE NEW SOLAR SYSTEM
• THE SUN
• THE SUN: SOLAR DETAILS
• THE PLANETS
• THE PLANETS: TERRESTRIAL
• THE PLANETS: OUTER
• MOONS
• ASTEROIDS, COMETS & METEORS
• OBSERVATION
• OBSERVATION: MODERN METHODS
• SPACE EXPLORATION
• SPACE EXPLORATION: COLLABORATION
• EXPANDING UNIVERSE
• CHAPTER 3. PLANET EARTH
• FORMATION OF THE EARTH
• EARTH'S INTERIOR
• CONTINENTS
• VOLCANOES
• EARTHQUAKES
• EARTH'S ELEMENTS
• ROCKS & MINERALS
• AGES OF THE EARTH
• SOIL
• LANDFORMS
• LANDFORMS: TAKING SHAPE
• LANDFORMS: ISLANDS
• EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
• WIND
• LIGHT
• WATER
• WATER: OCEANS
• WATER: RIVERS
• WATER: LAKES
• WATER: ICE
• THREATENED PLANET
• THREATENED: AIR
• THREATENED: WATER
• CHAPTER 4. LIFE ON EARTH
• LIFE BEGINS
• LIFE-FORMS
• FUNGI & LICHENS
• PLANTS
• PLANTS: FLOWERING
• PLANTS: SHRUBS
• PLANTS: TREES
• PLANTS: MEDICINAL
• PLANT CURIOSITIES
• BACTERIA, PROTISTS & ARCHAEA
• INSECTS
• INSECTS: BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS
• SPIDERS & THEIR KIN
• MOLLUSKS
• FISH
• REPTILES
• AMPHIBIANS
• BIRDS
• MAMMALS
• MAMMALS: SEA MAMMALS
• ANIMAL CURIOSITIES
• MIGRATION
• BIODIVERSITY
• BIODIVERSITY: EXTINCTION
• BIODIVERSITY: THREATENED SPECIES
• CHAPTER 5. CLIMATES & HABITATS
• WEATHER
• WEATHER: PREDICTIONS
• STORMS
• STORMS: HURRICANES
• STORMS: SNOW & ICE
• CLIMATE
• BIOMES
• FORESTS
• FORESTS: RAIN FORESTS
• FORESTS: BOREAL FORESTS
• FORESTS: MEDITERRANEAN
• MANGROVES
• GRASSLAND & SAVANNA
• DESERT & DRY SHRUBLAND
• TUNDRA & ICE CAP
• AQUATIC BIOMES
• HUMAN IMPACT
• CHAPTER 6. THE HUMAN WORLD
• HUMAN ORIGINS
• HUMAN MIGRATION
• THE HUMAN FAMILY
• THE HUMAN FAMILY: ETHNICITIES
• THE HUMAN FAMILY: RACE, CLASS & GENDER
• LANGUAGE
• LANGUAGE: WRITING
• RELIGION
• RELIGION: HINDUISM & BUDDHISM
• RELIGION: MONOTHEISM
• ART
• MUSIC
• CLOTHING
• FOOD
• AGRICULTURE
• AGRICULTURE: MODERN
• WORLD POPULATION
• TRANSPORTATION
• COMMERCE
• COMMERCE: WORLD TRADE TODAY
• SHELTER
• CITIES
• CHAPTER 7. WORLD HISTORY
• PREHISTORY 10,000-3500 B.C.
• MESOPOTAMIA 3500-500 B.C.
• EGYPT 3000-30 B.C.
• INDIA 2500 B.C.-A.D. 500
• CHINA 2200 B.C.-A.D. 500
• GREECE & PERSIA 1600 B.C.-A.D. 500
• ROME 500 B.C.-A.D. 500
• MIDDLE AGES 500-1000
• MIDDLE AGES: 1000-1500
• AFRICA 500-1500
• ASIA 500-1500
• OCEANIA & N. AMERICA PREHISTORY TO 1500
• MESOAMERICA PREHISTORY-1500
• SOUTH AMERICA PREHISTORY-1500
• WORLD NAVIGATION 1492-1522
• RENAISSANCE & REFORMATION 1500-1650
• A NEW WORLD 1500-1775
• REVOLUTION 1600-1800
• NATIONALISM 1790-1900
• THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 1765-1900
• IMPERIALISM: MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA 1500-1900
• IMPERIALISM: ASIA & PACIFIC 1750-1900
• WORLD WARS: WORLD WAR I 1900-18
• WORLD WARS: FRAGILE PEACE 1919-29
• WORLD WARS: DEPRESSION 1929-39
• WORLD WARS: WORLD WAR II 1938-45
• COLD WAR 1945-91
• GLOBALIZATION 1991-PRESENT
• CHAPTER 8. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
• COUNTING & MEASUREMENT
• TELLING TIME
• SCIENTIFIC WORLDVIEWS
• PHYSICAL SCIENCE
• PHYSICAL SCIENCE: PHYSICS
• PHYSICAL SCIENCE: ENGINEERING
• PHYSICAL SCIENCE: ROBOTICS
• PHYSICAL SCIENCE: CHEMISTRY
• PHYSICAL SCIENCE: OPTICS
• MEDICAL SCIENCE
• MEDICAL SCIENCE: MIND & BRAIN
• MEDICAL SCIENCE: SURGERY
• MEDICAL SCIENCE: GENETICS
• MEDICAL SCIENCE: GENOMICS
• GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
• COMPUTER SCIENCE
• COMPUTER SCIENCE: THE INTERNET
• COMPUTER SCIENCE: BIG DATA
• COMPUTER SCIENCE: 3-D PRINTING
• NANOTECHNOLOGY
• POWER
• POWER: FRACKING
• POWER: ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
• VEHICLES OF THE FUTURE
• PRIVATE SPACE TRAVEL
• CHAPTER 9. COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD
• NATIONS & ALLIANCES
• AFRICA
• ASIA
• EUROPE
• AUSTRALIA & OCEANIA
• NORTH AMERICA
• SOUTH AMERICA
• CONTRIBUTORS