Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary
by Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff

Publisher:  Merriam-Webster, Inc.
ISBN:  0877795460

My copy of the Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary quickly replaced my World Almanac and Book of Facts and even Goode's World Atlas as my favorite geographic reference. Although my copy is only two years old, it appears much older than its actual age because I pick up the "green book" and wear it out several times a day to obtain basic or detailed information for just about any place in the world.

The dictionary has over 48,000 entries, which range from obscure towns to mountain ranges to the countries of the world. It includes almost all places in the United States with a population greater than 2,500. The threshold for inclusion of places outside the U.S. varies (from those over4,500 in Canada to those over 100,000 in Bangladesh and China). Significant physical features, international organizations, and historical names for places are also included in the alphabetical gazetteer.

Each country has a lengthy entry, which includes population data, a brief history, alternative names, pronunciation, political division, chief products, and more. I'm constantly amazed at the information, which has been included in this 1,361-page book.

In addition to information about thousands of places, the dictionary includes over 250 excellent and crisp black and white maps of every country, U.S. state, and Canadian province.

This up-to-date edition is the third edition of this excellent reference.The prior edition was published in 1972 so there have been some major geographic changes and the third edition is very well updated. I highly recommend this phenomenal hard bound book. It's a must for everyone with aninterest in geography, reference books, travel, or politics.

Matt Rosenberg, your Guide for Geography