Thinking of buying an atlas? There are several different types of atlases. And within each type of atlas, there are a plethora of different atlases to choose from. While the purchase of an atlas may seem complicated, these tips should help you to make the best possible choice.

Road Atlases
Typically, road atlases cover a country or continent and are thin and portable. Be sure that the road atlas you're looking for contains the detail you need for your purposes - some road atlases have great coverage of urban areas while others would be better suited for those simply trying to get from place to place. Choose one that's convenient enough to keep in the car for quick reference.

•  Top 10 Atlases
•  Road Maps Online

World Atlases
World atlases vary greatly in size and comprehensiveness - they range from pocket world atlases to mammoth books nearly two feet high! If you need a world atlas to locate obscure villages and towns on our planet, you'll need one of the mammoth ones but oftentimes, a smaller atlas will suffice.

•  World Maps Online

Historical Atlases
Historical atlases provide a window to our past. They are filled with maps charting human exploration and history. Inside a historical atlas, you'll also usually find timelines, photographs, and short blurbs about history and are like a good book you can't put down. Look for a historical atlas that provides good coverage of the regions you're most interested in.

•  Historic Maps Online

Reference Atlases
Reference atlases provide maps and information about each country of the world. They devote a page or so to each country and provide a narrative or charts and blurbs about the economics, culture, and geography of each country. They are a great resource for discovering information about a country in the news or for school reports. In this category, the more colorful and thicker the better!

•  Country Facts Online