Whereas we believe the best way to learn geography is in relation to something (history, literature, current events, etc.) so that the child has context and a motivating interest, we’re always on the lookout for great map sources. Well, here is one of the most complete world geography resources that we’ve found to date: PAT — a free, open source, portable atlas.
PAT is really software that provides an interactive map. You’ll want to read the about page to get the most from the site.
Here are a few favorite features:
- Includes some typically hard-to-find countries.
- Region Maps
A nice variety of regional maps. - World Maps
Several options including a do-it-yourself option. - Planets drawn to scale.
- Maps are available in high-contrast colors for viewing and traditional colors for printing.
- Free!
All of the maps are free and in the public domain. (Please read the license for distribution information.)
Sure, nothing beats a globe for that initial investigation — but globes don’t fit in notebooks!
Keep Reading
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