Anyone know where I can get a good atlas?

[Michael Hopcroft]

I;m trying to build a fantasy world centered around North America, using much of the real geography with some of the changes that would result if a circle of mages were to cast a huge spell that would restore the Earth after its industrial-age depletion, re-create the lush gren forests, transform some of the humans, make the soil about ten times more fertile than it is now so nobody has to starve to death, and transform certain people. It would also transform the buildings, roads, etc to be maintainable without such things as electricity and gasoline (the reason the spell was cast in the first place was that the oil was running out).

Unfortunately there were inforseen conseuqneces -- the difficuly of communication with no long-dsistance transportation or telephones available meant that the central government fell completely apart and it's difficult to directly govern anything larger than a county. Larger states exist, but they depend on the localities to provide them with what they need, from tax money to military levies to food. (For example, Oregon would probably exist as a kingdom because the people who live in the big cities like Portland and Eugene still need to be fed -- irognically many city-dwellers under these circusmanctes may find themselves heading out to the COUNTRY to look for work in the farms!)

So does anyone know where I can get a good atlas so I can map out this strange new world?

[Intrope]

I don't know about good, but I saw a US road atlas (coffe-table sized) at Wal-mart for $5 (on the magazine rack). Might be a good place to start, until you're sure you need a better one...

BTW, that's a nifty idea for a setting! I'm not sure it would actually cause a wholesale collapse in government, though: the US was pretty large even before fast travel/communication became possible after all. It would cause massive upheaval, though!

[LoresLost]

Here is a online source of Maps <a href="http://search.usgs.gov/query.html?col=&ht=0&qp=&qs=&qc=&pw=100%25&ws=1&la=en&qm=1&si=0&ct=1628170799">The US Geological Survey</a> Has all of US maps that are not road related. <a href="http://www.usgs.gov/"> USGS Homepage </a> And their <a href="http://nmviewogc.cr.usgs.gov/viewer.htm">online National Map</a>This should be enough to get you started <a href="http://nationalmap.usgs.gov/"> (Oh here is the home site of the "National Map")</a>. Also if you want a good Hard Copy atlas then <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195219864/qid=1097156549/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_2_1/002-4748137-0262452"> Oxford Atlas of the World</a> Should do but is very expensive.

[Rhys]

If you just want big maps of the country the way it is, any of the previous suggestions are good. I'd recommend an atlas that shows the vegetation zones, so an actual world atlas would probably be best. If you have a unviersity near you with a decent Geography department, check out the campus book store for what ever might be required for their environmental geography classes. I still have my Atlas of the Environment from school. It shows all the natural resource distributions, vegetation and elevation zones and population densities along with a bunch of other stuff.

[keithcurtis]

Go to a Teacher's supply store. They often have blank maps showing all kinds of useful info. Here is a lo-res version of one I scanned from my wife's classroom. It seems perfect for what you need. And it's probably only a couple bucks.

Keith "Mr. Helpy-Guy" Curtis