Geography Reference

Every subject worth studying has corners that need to be filled and core tenants that need refreshing once in awhile. This is more true of some disciplines than others, and geography definitely has a lot of corners and a lot of central facts that students often find difficult to keep straight.

Not only is geography study largely dependent on hard data, it requires precision and carefulness as students navigate landforms, cultures, national boundaries, bodies of water, cities, etc. Having good reference tools at hand is essential when poring over maps or trying to match capital cities to their nations.

One of the most important (but rarely mentioned) of these is a gazetteer. Strictly speaking, a gazetteer is a directory attached to an atlas, but more broadly it's a resource that provides information about the physical features, demographics, and geography of a given region. Gazetteers always include maps, and the information provided is keyed to the map for easy reference.

Atlases often contain much of the information included in a gazetteer, but much more condensed. An atlas is indispensable when studying a particular region, as it usually includes detailed maps of both the land itself and the human imprint. The emphasis of a good atlas is maps, though other information is usually included.

Hold up! many will doubtless cry at this point. Why not just use the Internet? Everything you could get in a gazetteer or atlas is on the Web, and probably more of it. It's a fair point. Nevertheless, we think books are still a better medium for instruction than a screen, especially when studying geography.

The supremacy of the printed page becomes immediately obvious when studying a map. Online, maps are only as big as the screens they fill, and if you've got an iPhone, stylus, or notebook, that's not very big. To see a map of India, for instance, you're only able to look at a small portion at a time, moving the map around till you find the region you're looking for.

And how do you mark up an online map? How do you internalize place names and roadways just by staring at a digital image of them online? The best way to familiarize oneself with geographical data isn't just to memorize lists of stuff, it's to interact with the material and look at itin context, relating the various elements to one another.

It's true that geographical information often changes. And, with the political instability of the Southern Hemisphere right now, changes often take place every hour on the hour. Yet significant changes don't happen often enough to make what's published obsolete, especially material published within the last year or two.

Reading the printed word and studying printed maps also reminds us that the information we're absorbing isn't transient. Borders may move and peoples disperse, but there's more to geography than merely the political and cultural elements. Because anyone can and does edit much of the content found on the Interwebs, it takes on an insubstantial character in the minds of many students, especially those whose world is largely bounded by social media and devices.

Whether you need an encyclopedia to bone up on country facts for a report, an atlas to help understand the movement of Allied forces during World War II, or a book about famous landmarks to get better at trivia, we commend our selection of geography references to you, hoping that they'll pique your interest as much as they help you complete school assignments.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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58 Items found Print
50 Maps of the World
by Kalya Ryan and Ben Handicott, Illustrated by Sol Linero
from Quarto Publishing
for 2nd-Adult
in Oversized Geography (Location: GEO-OVER)
$30.00
50 Maps of the World
by Kalya Ryan and Ben Handicott, Illustrated by Sol Linero
from Quarto Publishing
for 2nd-Adult
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$14.99
50 States
by Gabrielle Balkan, Illustrated by Sol Linero
from Wide Eyed Editions
for 3rd-6th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$30.00
50 States
by Gabrielle Balkan, Illustrated by Sol Linero
from Wide Eyed Editions
for 3rd-6th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$14.99
Answer Book of Geography
by Mary Elting and Franklin Folsom, illustrated by Barbara Amlick
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
Atlas of Countries
First Discovery Book
by Gallimard Jeunesse
from Scholastic Press
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Child's Geography of the World
by V. M. Hillyer
from Appleton-Century-Crofts
for 2nd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Child's Geography of the World
by V. M. Hillyer
2021 Printing from Albatross Publishers
for 2nd-6th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$22.95
Child's Introduction to the World
by Heather Alexander
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 3rd-5th grade
in Introductory Geography (Location: GEO-INTRO)
$19.99
Children Just Like Me
by Anabel Kindersley, Barnabas Kindersley
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$19.99
Comprehensive World Reference Guide
from Instructional Fair
for 7th-12th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Everything Kids' Geography Book
Everything Kids Series
by J. Elizabeth Mills, Jane P. Gardner
from Adams Media Corp.
for 4th-6th grade
in Introductory Geography (Location: GEO-INTRO)
Everything You Need To Know About Geography Homework
by Anne Zeman & Kate Kelly
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Families Around the World
by Jo E. Moore
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for Preschool-1st grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$2.10 (1 in stock)
From Akebu to Zapotec
by June Hathersmith
from Wycliffe Bible Translators
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
GATB Creative Companion Level 4 (old)
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 4th grade
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Geography Bee Complete Preparation Handbook
by Matthew T. Rosenberg and Jennifer E. Rosenberg
from Three Rivers Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$20.00 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Geography Coloring Book
3rd edition from Pearson Education
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
Geography from A to Z
by Jack Knowlton
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Introductory Geography (Location: GEO-INTRO)
$11.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Geography Songs - Booklet only
Audio Memory CDs
by Larry & Kathy Troxel
5th edition from Audio Memory
for 2nd-6th grade
in Introductory Geography (Location: GEO-INTRO)
$6.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Geography Songs DVD
Audio Memory CDs
by Larry & Kathy Troxel
5th edition from Audio Memory
for 2nd-6th grade
in Introductory Geography (Location: GEO-INTRO)
$30.00
Geography Songs with CD
Audio Memory CDs
by Larry & Kathy Troxel
5th edition from Audio Memory
for 2nd-6th grade
in Introductory Geography (Location: GEO-INTRO)
$22.95 $13.00 (1 in stock)
Geography: An Illustrated A-Z Glossary
from B.C. Lester Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$15.99
Geology of Oregon
by Ewart M. Baldwin
2nd edition from University of Oregon
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
Handy Geography Answer Book
by Matthew T. Rosenberg
from Visible Ink Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
How Do I Use an Atlas?
Research Tools You Can Use
by Therese Shea
from Britannica Educational Pub.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Inflatable Globe
from Learning Resources
for 1st-4th grade
in Cartography & Mapping Resources (Location: GEO-MAP)
$7.99 $3.00 (2 in stock)
It's My State! Oregon
It's My State!
by Joyce Hart and Jacqueline Laks Gorman
from Marshall Cavendish Education
for 3rd-6th grade
in Pacific States (Location: HISV-PNW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Journey to the Eastern Hemisphere
by April Lotempio
1st edition from Avyx, Inc.
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Geography Encyclopedia
by Clive Gifford
2 Rev Upd from Kingfisher
for 4th-9th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$29.50 (1 in stock)
Little Kids First Big Book of the World
National Geographic Kids
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Me on the Map
by Joan Sweeney, Illustrated by Qin Leng
from Dragonfly Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Introductory Geography (Location: GEO-INTRO)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Operation World
by Jason Mandryk, Patrick & Robin Johnstone
7th edition from Biblica Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Prayer (Location: XCL-PRAY)
$15.00 (2 in stock)
Operation World
by Jason Mandryk, Patrick & Robin Johnstone
7th edition from InterVarsity Press
for 9th-Adult
in Prayer (Location: XCL-PRAY)
$25.00
Our Fifty States
by Mark H. Bockenhauer, Stephen F. Cunha, Jimmy Carter (Foreword)
from National Geographic
for 4th-6th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Passport to America
by Craig Froman
from Master Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in United States Geography (Location: GEO-REFUS)
$15.99
Passport to America - Extra Passport
by Craig Froman
from Master Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in United States Geography (Location: GEO-REFUS)
$3.20
Passport to the World
by Craig Froman
from Master Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$13.59 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Passport to the World - Extra Passport
by Craig Froman
from Master Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
Physical Geography Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 6th-10th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
Seven Wonders of the Natural World
from Silver Burdett Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in International Landmarks & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANINT)
Seven Wonders of the World
by Ron Tagliapietra
from Bob Jones University Press
for 8th-Adult
in International Landmarks & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANINT)
$12.95 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Seven Wonders of the World and More!
by Don Blattmer
from Mark Twain Media
for 4th-6th grade
in International Landmarks & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANINT)
South America
from Bridgestone Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Student World Atlas
Fourth Edition from National Geographic
in World & U.S. Atlases (Location: GEO-ATLAS)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Student World Atlas
Fifth Edition from National Geographic
in World & U.S. Atlases (Location: GEO-ATLAS)
Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide
by Maggie Hogan & Cindy Wiggers
4th edition from GeoCreations
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Geography Activities & Games (Location: GEO-ACT)
Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide (old)
by Maggie Hogan & Cindy Wiggers
3rd edition from GeoCreations
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$20.00
Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide (really old)
by Maggie Hogan & Cindy Wiggers
1st edition from GeoCreations
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Old Edition History & Geography (Location: OHIS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Book of Peoples of the World
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Anna Claybourne, Gillian Doherty
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Book of Peoples of the World
by Roma Trundle
from Usborne
for 1st-3rd grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$2.00 (4 in stock)
Usborne Book of Peoples of the World
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Flags Sticker Book
Spotter's Guides Sticker Books
by Lisa Miles
from Usborne
for 3rd-7th grade
in International Landmarks & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANINT)
Usborne Geography Encyclopedia
from Usborne
for 5th-10th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
Why Geography Matters
by Harm De Blij
from Oxford University
for Nursery
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
World Famous Landmarks
by Cynthia Adams
from Instructional Fair
for 4th-6th grade
in International Landmarks & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANINT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
World of Wonders
by J. Patrick Lewis
from Sun Dial Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Geography Reference (Location: GEO-REF)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Young Discoverers: Rivers and Oceans
by Barbara Taylor
from Kingfisher
for 2nd-4th grade
in Water Cycle (Location: SCI-EARTH)
$5.00 (1 in stock)