Prisoners of Geography meets Bill Bryson: a funny, fascinating, beautifully illustrated - and timely - history of countries that, for myriad and often ludicrous reasons, no longer exist. 'Countries are just daft stories we tell each other. They're all equally implausible once you get up close' Countries die. Sometimes it's murder, sometimes it's by accident, and sometimes it's because they were so ludicrous they didn't deserve to exist in the first place. Occasionally they explode violently. A few slip away almost unnoticed. Often the cause of death is either 'got too greedy' or 'Napoleon turned up'. Now and then they just hold a referendum and vote themselves out of existence. This is an atlas of nations that fell off the map. The polite way of writing an obituary is: dwell on the good bits, gloss over the embarrassing stuff. This book fails to do that. And that is mainly because most of these dead nations (and a lot of the ones that are still alive) are so weird or borderline nonsensical that it's impossible to skip the embarrassing stuff. The life stories of the sadly deceased involve a catalogue of chancers, racists, racist chancers, conmen, madmen, people trying to get out of paying tax, mistakes, lies, stupid schemes and General Idiocy. Because of this - and because treating nation states with too much respect is the entire problem with pretty much everything - these accounts are not fussed about adding to all the earnest flag saluting in the world, however nice some of the flags are.

Bedrock ('Solid') geology map of the British Islands, covering England, Wales, Scotland and the Scottish Islands, The Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

How many place names are there in the Hawaiian Islands? Even a rough estimate is impossible. Hawaiians named taro patches, rocks, trees, canoe landings, resting places in the forests, and the tiniest spots where miraculous events are believed to have taken place. And place names are far from static--names are constantly being given to new houses and buildings, streets and towns, and old names are replaced by new ones. It is essential, then, to record the names and the lore associated with them now, while Hawaiians are here to lend us their knowledge. And, whatever the fate of the Hawaiian language, the place names will endure. The first edition of Place Names of Hawaii contained only 1,125 entries. The coverage is expanded in the present edition to include about 4,000 entries, including names in English. Also, approximately 800 more names are included in this volume than appear in the second edition of the Atlas of Hawaii.

What links a champion bare-knuckle boxer, a pioneering general who inspired the invention of Ordnance Survey maps and a runaway cat? They've all given their names to London pubs! This book covers over 650 pub names across all 32 London boroughs as well as the City of London, revealing the stories of Elizabethan actors, puritanical plotters, Titanic survivors, treasured cuddly toys and many many more... Each of them contributes to our understanding of London, taking in its political, cultural and social history. A must have for anyone wanting to learn more about London through the unique medium of one of its most enduring and endearing institutions, pubs. Read this and you'll never look at your local in the same way again!

The Atlas of Geographical Curiosities - a glorious celebration of an unusual world. Welcome to this compendium of interesting, unexpected and downright bizarre geographical anomalies that are guaranteed to delight and inspire. The world is full of little-known facts that have sometimes been a source of diplomatic or military struggle. Many still exist under the radar now to be revealed by this entertaining treasure trove. Where else can you discover: Countries that do not really exist A UK hotel room which became Yugoslavian for one day only An island which is Spanish for six months of the year and French for the other six A city which is officially constituted by one single high-rise (14 floor) building The world's first and only railway that belonged to one country and ran across another A hotel room whose bedroom is in France and whose bathroom is in Switzerland Bir Tawil which is one of the very few territories on earth not claimed by any country The only place in the world where you can find so-called counter-enclaves where in a 20-minute walk around the town you can cross an international border at least 50 times at 50 different points The world is full of wonderful and strange geographical irregularities. Turn to the Atlas of Geographical Curiosities to uncover more little known but important facts.

The sea monsters on medieval and Renaissance maps, whether swimming vigorously, gambolling amid the waves, attacking ships, or simply displaying themselves for our appreciation, are one of the most visually engaging elements on these maps, and yet they have never been carefully studied. The subject is important not only in the history of cartography, art, and zoological illustration, but also in the history of the geography of the 'marvellous' and of western conceptions of the ocean. Moreover, the sea monsters depicted on maps can supply important insights into the sources, influences, and methods of the cartographers who drew or painted them. In this highly-illustrated book the author analyzes the most important examples of sea monsters on medieval and Renaissance maps produced in Europe, beginning with the earliest mappaemundi on which they appear in the tenth century and continuing to the end of the sixteenth century.

The Inflatable Globe is a fun water proof globe great for teaching children about the world. This Inflatable Globe is brightly coloured and indicates capital cities, lines of longitude and latitude, international time zones, elevation, physical features, oceans, seas and is set out in a learner-friendly manner. This Inflatable Globe is a great educational product for children. It can be used in the classroom or at home. Ideal for young and old alike.

Puzzled by Welsh place names - but want to know what they mean and how to say them? Look no further. This is an exciting full colour pocket guide, "Understanding Welsh Place Names: What They Mean and How to Say Them", from outdoor specialists Northern Eye Books. This innovative yet carefully thought out guide means non-Welsh speakers can now easily translate and understand place names all over Wales - on the map, on road signs, and out in the countryside. Written by native Welsh speaker, Gwili Gog, the book contains not only a comprehensive gazetteer of place names arranged county by modern county - with an authoritative explanation of what each name means - but also a potted history of the Welsh language, a quick look at pronunciation, and a photographic exploration of place names in the landscape, as well as key words accompanied by phonetic explanations of how to pronounce them. But perhaps the most notable element of this book is its themed approach to the ideas and beliefs that lie at the heart of the Welsh language.Separate illustrated text boxes on each double page spread explore more than thirty central topics such as Hills and Mountains; Ancient Animals; Colours in the Countryside; Fords, Ferries and Bridges; Holy Wells; Inns and Taverns; and Funny Place Names. Armed with this insider knowledge, visitors will discover there's a whole unexplored new dimension to the Welsh landscape. In fact, for readers, Wales will never be quite the same again.

Navigate your way around London with this detailed, easy-to-use, and up-to-date A-Z Premier Map. A full-colour, single sided, fold-out street map, covering a six-mile radius from Charing Cross in Central London. Extending to Muswell Hill to the north, London City Airport to the east, Crystal Palace to the south, and Wembley to the west. Attached to the cover is a booklet containing a comprehensive index of more than 40,000 streets, along with selected flats, walkways, places of interest, fire stations, hospitals and hospices within this region. Also included on the map are postcode districts, one-way streets, the congestion zone boundary and the ULEZ boundary. There is also a separate and up-to-date TfL underground map. This iconic map is a trusted means of finding your way around the capital city.

A new fully updated reference atlas in the exciting Collins world atlas range. Great value and contains all the world maps you need in a budget atlas, for family, study and business use. Explore our planet; * Clear maps giving balanced worldwide coverage * Key statistics and flags for every country of the world * World time zones maps * Discover more than 36,000 places Mapping updates include; * Country name changes - Czechia (formerly Czech Republic),Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia) * Extensive place name changes in New Zealand, Myanmar and Ukraine * Changes to capital cities in Burundi, Chad, Eswatini, Kazakhstan and Kiribati * Railways in France, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Motorways in UK and Ireland * New rail and road bridge across Kerch Strait * Everest height updated to 8,849m / 29,032ft

Spanning the Islamic world, from ninth-century Baghdad to nineteenth-century Iran, this book tells the story of the key Muslim map-makers and the art of Islamic cartography. Muslims were uniquely placed to explore the edges of the inhabited world and their maps stretched from Isfahan to Palermo, from Istanbul to Cairo and Aden. Over a similar period, Muslim artists developed distinctive styles, often based on geometrical patterns and calligraphy. Map-makers, including al-Khwarazmi and al-Idrisi, combined novel cartographical techniques with art, science and geographical knowledge. The results could be aesthetically stunning and mathematically sophisticated, politically charged as well as a celebration of human diversity. 'Islamic Maps' examines Islamic visual interpretations of the world in their historical context, through the lives of the map-makers themselves. What was the purpose of their maps, what choices did they make and what was the argument they were trying to convey? Lavishly illustrated with stunning manuscripts, beautiful instruments and Qibla charts, this book shows how maps constructed by Muslim map-makers capture the many dimensions of Islamic civilisation, providing a window into the worldviews of Islamic societies.

Coming from the market leader in European mapping, this compact spiral edition gives more to leisure travellers with its unique factfinder of key statistics, currency, driving regs and speed limits for each country. Packed with details of facilities at major ski resorts and top visitor attractions, country by country, with clear route-planning maps, which enable journeys of over 800 miles to be planned without turning a page. Along with detailed road maps, there are car ferries, toll-free and pre-pay motorways, all clearly marked. The continental road network is shown at four different scales from 1:250 000 to 1:4 500 000, with ultra-clear detailed mapping. Scenic routes are highlighted, and the maps show numerous places to visit including beaches, theme parks, national parks and World Heritage Sites