World Maps

If you want to roam around a country, buy a map in your home country. If possible get one with both the name of the city in your language, and below it the name of the city in the local language. You can then point at the city in the natives language. It will work a lot better than trying to say the word. If you cannot find a map like this, but the one in your language for reference, but English is always the best, then when you get to the country buy one in the local language. Better to have a big map on one page, then an Atlas with a lot of pages. Easier to layout your trip.

Andy's Favorites

SIMPLE
- Great Reference.: University of Texas at Austin
Cia Factbook from Cia.gov Good simple map with facts and data.
Worldatlas.com Quick Maps - Easy to use and for the novice.
Atlapedia.com

ADVANCED
Geonames.org Researcher and Expert planning maps

PDF - Requires Adobe Acrobat
Download onto a thumb or flash drive...
PDF by CIA - Planning map, - Plan a world trip with this map good
Un.org  United Nations PDF Files

FUN
Distance: This is just too cool. It will tell you the miles between 2 points on the earth. Also tell you the longitude and latitude of your home city or the one you want to visit. Indo.com/distance/
Tropics, What is tropical or where is the beach?
Nationalgeographic.com I use this more when I have time.
World66.com/myworld66/visitedCountries Make a map of countries you have visited.

Andy on Essential Knowledge of World Maps
Maps are the core of travel, you need a map.
If you wish to learn where all maps start the United States Government creates maps, then most of the world copies from them.
Agiweb.org To buy a CD Rom for the world
Agiweb.org This site is where you start to learn,
CIA - Central Intelligence Agency of the United States - Cia.gov
--- Large University Libraries may be able to explain.
CIA Factbook Downloads Cia.gov

USA
Mapquest.com

Tips by Andy:
Maps of the world and comments
Country Capitals of the World
Country Definitions - Names that are synonymous with country