All of these items may be found in atlases. An atlas is simply a collection of maps that often share a common theme and that are bound together in a single volume. These atlases offer a comprehensive overview of the world. In theory a general atlas should provide broad and equal coverage of all the land masses and bodies of water in the world. This is not always the case.
Many atlases contain a disproportionate amount of information about the country that published it.
General atlases are used to find information on the current status of our world. This includes boundary and name changes for different countries. An example of a general atlas is the Rand McNally's New International Atlas . Historical Atlases Historical atlases focus on a specific time period in history. This type of atlas often relies heavily on text.