NEWSLETTER NO. 1 OF 2010
AXIS OF EVIL MAPPING NEWSLETTER # 1 January, 2010 (sent early February)
NEW TITLES FOR THIS MONTH!
Botswana, China Wall Map (plotted only), Earth Ball, Germany, Jakarta City Map, Lima and Central Peru, Lower Mainland (BC)/Richmond/New Westminster/Surrey, Mackenzie River (plotted only), Mexico Baja California, and Uzbekistan ( a total of 11 new maps, but only 8 actual products)
The Axis of Evil Mapping Newsletter is released irregularly. Any opinions expressed are strictly those of myself and are not intended to provoke anything more than the intellect.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the second decade of the century. It seems like just yesterday that Lan and I spent a New Year’s eve huddled over our computers in the office, worrying whether or not our system would adjust to the new Milleneum, or crash with the great Y2K scare. As it happened, nothing happened, except that our computers showed a 2 as the first number of the year for the first time ever. It’s amazing to realize that ten years have passed since then. We’re also into Year Two of the Great Recession, and it seems apparent that the USA continues to be mired in financial woes and sluggish economic progress, and will remain so for most of 2010. This, of course, drags Canada’s economy down, and detrimentally affects the economies of most of the rest of the world. I don’t mind the slow but steady pace of the improvements that are taking place, but regret the slow pace of creating confidence in consumers. When, oh when, will the American public start travelling again in large numbers???
A THOUGHT TO START THE NEW YEAR
Escaping and evading are ancient arts of war, and it is at best difficult, and at worst impossible, to escape without a map. (Field Marshall Sir Gerald Templar) I have no idea why I liked this quote, but it’s true. He was referring to WW2 military prisoners escaping from POW camps, but the same maxim applies to all of us who are trying to understand what is happening to our business world. We need some sort of a map to escape the recession!
OLYMPIC GAMES 2010 VANCOUVER/WHISTLER
We’re down to the last few weeks of organizing the largest Winter Olympic Games ever held. It has been an involved and very expensive exercise, creating new sports facilities, a new rapid transit line, and upgrading a mountain highway, but everything is now ready – except maps. The Olympic Committee decided that everyone could find their way around using only digital information. For the first time ever, there are NO paper maps being provided by the organizing committee to visitors and athletes. This might sound very modern, but we all know that most of the people coming to the Games will NOT have a car with in-car navigation, will NOT remember to bring a GPS device or some newly-issued Ipod-type toy, and will NOT have access to the internet 24 hours a day. How are people going to find unfamiliar locations, such as the Richmond Oval or the Callaghan Valley?
The Committee’s solution is to ask Vancouverites to help lost visitors. Wow!!! As if we wouldn’t do that anyway! And how are we to do that without a map, considering that the Committee refused to supply any information about the venues of the Games to anyone! All right, as a map maker, I’m annoyed by their attitude. The Games themselves are well-organized, but how can we deal with requests from our customers for paper maps? The following are available and not only show the venues, they are long-term maps that will still be marketable long after the Games are over. Order stock from ITMB.
SALES IN 2009
We all know that 2009 was not a good year, economically, for any of us. Now that the year is over, I’m comparing 2008 sales to 2009 and the results are not at all what I expected them to be. To my surprise, sales into the States did not fall nearly as much as I had assumed. Map Link’s legal problems certainly downsized their annual purchases, and affected ITMB’s bottom line in the process, but Rand McNally’s purchases for Barnes & Noble improved – not enough to keep sales levels stable, but strongly enough to prevent a worst-case scenario. Other distributors either moved about the same value of inventory or improved. On balance, ITMB’s sales to the States showed a 10% decline, which isn’t bad considering the severity of the recession in the States. The REAL declines happened in Europe, as the recession hit the continent hard. Sales to Belgium were down 25%, Italy was down 50%, Britain the same; Germany dropped 20%, and Eastern Europe decreased by 55%. Sales to Spain and to France were up, and to Scandinavia were about the same as in 2008. Canadian sales were steady or improved, except in BC (for reasons having nothing to do with the economy). Sales to Australasia dipped slightly, sales to Africa doubled, and sales to Latin America suffered. Overall, sales suffered, but ITMB is fortunate enough to be a debt-free business, with significant cash reserves, so the only effect that the recession has had on our business is to force me to deplete older inventory artificially to ensure that our product line remains as up-to-date as possible.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAPS
ITMB has unofficially imported NatGeo wall maps and folded maps into Canada for a number of years. We have supplied stores in western Canada, but, by agreement, did not actively promote ourselves because we were not an ‘official’ distributor. Starting in January, 2010, ITMB is the official distributor of National Geographic maps in Canada, and we are in the process of increasing stock levels and adding new titles to our inventory. The NatGeo line is huge, and we’re not sure what Trails Unlimited titles will be most in demand, so I’ll be approaching major retailers separately to see how to best serve your needs. My own experience with the line is that world maps sell best, maps of the USA sell poorly, and thematic maps sell slowly in general retail stores, but well in specialty shops. Anyway, we’re excited about this new opportunity, and the addition of such a renowned line into our stable of quality cartographic publishing lines.
TREATY OAK CHANGES DIRECTION
A significant map distributor in the USA has decided to discontinue supplying retail ‘bricks and mortar’ stores in order to concentrate their efforts on internet sales to Amazon.com. This is regrettable, as it increases difficulties on retailers who are already struggling to source map material. Treaty Oak has been in financial difficulties and increasingly unable to pay its suppliers for the past couple of years, and this latest decision does not inspire me. Amazon is a shark, and one gets into bed with a shark verrrry carefully! Map Link is still in bankruptcy court and, while I wish them well, they have not yet approached their vendors with any sort of plan to pay outstanding invoices after a year and a bit of court protection. Rand has overcome budgetary problems that disrupted business in the first half of 2009, but is a relatively small provider of maps except to Barnes & Noble. Langenscheidt/AMC does not seem to me to be operating in a manner that inspires confidence. That leaves two map distributors in North America that are able to supply general market needs – Omni Resources and ITMB itself. This is not healthy, and I intend to start shaking the distribution tree until we have a greater number of sound marketing firms with sound business entrepreneurs in place, distributing maps. Retailers expect reliable, soundly managed, suppliers, and so do I.
DISCOUNT CHANGES FOR US RETAILERS
ITMB needs to change its discount policy for US retailers wanting to open a new account with ITMB. There is no soft way to pass on bad news, and I’m sorry, but I’ve also come to realize that my well-intentioned offer to help US retailers ensure a steady stream of ITMB maps by offering to supply directly is not sustainable. We are happy to help out in the short term, but US retailers need home-grown distributors to meet local needs in the same way that European retailers need someone close to them that can supply what they need. A publisher directly supplying retailers in another country merely centralizes ordering. He also clogs the processing of wholesale orders with retail account orders and harms the very distributors that were established to supply those same retailers. Allow me to comment on my perception of the problem.
Treaty Oak has recently announced that it is no longer able to service its retail accounts. Why? Well, part of the reason is that Treaty Oak has been squeezed between a rock and a hard place for years, with insufficient business to make money on bulk turnover, or on sales in small quantities to retailers, with everyone wanting higher discounts. The end result of years of valiant effort has been that there has been insufficient margin left over for them to pay their bills, and they have been forced to change direction. Can we blame them?
Map Link was struggling for years before they applied for bankruptcy protection (protection from their bank, by the way, not from their suppliers). Regardless, why did ML experience difficulties? Partly, and I’m aware of other reasons, but partly because the squeeze between what they were receiving from suppliers and what certain retailers were demanding resulted in reduced margins - below what was sustainable for their business (or any business) to support. They are still offering unsustainable discounts to customers in a desperate effort to move inventory and gain revenue to pay bills. Their plan is commendable, but, I fear, cannot be sustained as a business practice in the longer term.
ITMB uses the services of three specialty map distributors in the USA: Map Link, Omni Resources, and Rand McNally (for only a dozen titles), and have sold maps to AMC/Langenscheidt. All have their own internal needs to satisfy and I’m sure that would agree that the current state of the map distribution industry is far from perfect. I can’t speak for firms like the Langenscheidt Group (AMC, Insight, and Michelin), but I suspect that they are also experiencing distribution difficulties. Don’t quote me, I’m just observing what I experience as their supplier; others may not.
ITMB supports its distributors, or wants to, but has opened a few US retail accounts in recent times to help out some retailers who are finding it difficult to source ITMB maps reliably from their traditional suppliers at a difficult time period in the US economy. We’re happy to do so in the short term, but I also need to have strong and reliable map distribution inside the United States. US retailers also need to be aware that importing from Canada involves higher shipping charges and importation fees than would apply from suppliers located within the USA. In other words, I accept the need to supply retailers directly, but I also feel that it is important to re-connect US retailers with reliable suppliers inside the USA. Saying is easy – doing may prove to be a bit more challenging!
I should also add that, until recently, ITMB had virtually no US retailers ordering directly from us in Vancouver, so these comments will not affect the vast majority of our American customers. I think that it is fair to say, though, that those retailers who have approached me recently about opening accounts, or reactivating accounts, are doing so out of concern for future supply. The common theme in conversations has been a desire to secure a reliable source for ITMB maps, and let’s be blunt, that’s my goal as well. None of us can see far enough into the future to see how the ‘new’ US economy is going to be structured, but I think it is safe to say that map distribution at the moment is in serious disarray. It will take time to rebuild sound distribution and, after a year of quietly supporting both Treaty Oak and Map Link, it is evident to me that the problems being experienced are deep rooted and distribution generally is in serious disarray. Solving this problem will take time. How to start?
This is my initial plan:
1. US retailers who already have an account directly with ITMB will maintain their current status. This is only fair, as they are long-established and treasured customers and as only a few stores are ordering direct.
2. US retailers opening a new direct supply account with ITMB after February 1, 2010, will be established at 45%, but will be granted an additional 5% discount (i.e. 50%) for a three month period to encouage them to stock ITMB titles. This offer will be extended to Borch, Freytag & Berndt, and Nelles titles as well.
3. US retailers will be encouraged to support established, reputableITMB distributors within the USA, and ITMB’s actions at this point in time should be seen as helping during a difficult time instead of an attempt to withdraw support from valued distributors.
4. In the near future, ITMB will be appointing an additional distributor to replace Treaty Oak as a supplier to retail outlets within the USA, so that retailers will have alternative sources of supply for what is, after all, a pretty major publishing line, and one of few that continues to expand its range.
5. At this time, I wish to remind all US distributors that their area of distribution rights is limited to internal American customers, and they are not to market ITMB in other parts of the world to retailers. Orders to individuals should be serviced for the sake of customer satisfaction, but business to business activity is limited to the USA. Distributors wishing to extend marketing beyond the USA need to approach me for approval before doing so.
A BIT OF HUMOUR TO TAKE THE EDGE OFF
The reason for giving a child a middle name is so that he can tell when he’s REALLY in trouble!
If ‘pro’ is the opposite of ‘con’, what is the opposite of progress?
Until 1984, all CDs sold in the USA were imported, and sales were minimal. Then, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” was recorded in Boston, and the world has never been the same since.
An auctioneer has no friends – just nodding acquaintances!
A postage stamp ensures success through its ability to stick to the job at hand until it reaches its destination.
Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly loved.
The secret of creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
You know what I don’t like about non-conformists? They’re all alike!
DID YOU KNOW?
Canada Geese are our country’s most poopable exports, and a bane to park cleaners throughout Europe and the States. They are large birds, and almost always fly and nest in groups known as colonies. Migrating geese fly in a distinctive ‘V’ formation, with the strongest goose at the centre front, to ‘break’ the wind. The ‘V’ also alters the air current, making it possible for the birds to glide, much as an aircraft does, enabling longer flights. We call them honkers, for obvious reasons, and I have no idea why they are called Canada geese, as they are common in Europe and throughout the northern portion of the USA. I don’t believe that they are environmentally protected in any way, in fact, their numbers are growing so fast that they are regarded as being somewhat of a pest. They’re smart birds, and not afraid of humans. Just don’t get too close! I remember seeing one walking along the sidewalk close to the main intersection of downtown Vancouver. Hundreds of people were rushing by, but every one of them either ignored the bird, who was just strolling along, or excused themselves if they passed too close. The bird was not in distress; he took the attention for granted.
Geese have been seen by pilots at more than 35,000 feet altitude, which seems incredibly high, and were responsible for the closest Cold War incident ever. US radar screens suddenly lit up with apparent signs of a massive invasion from Russia over the north pole. Thousands of aircraft and SAC bombers were sent aloft before the Canadian who was commanding NORAD (North American joint defense) at the time held back all planes from actually attacking Russia until the US President could get his Russian counterpart out of bed and ask what the h--- was going on. At the same time, all pilots were asked to look for flocks of high-flying Canada geese. Sure enough, the honkers were responsible for triggering the radar screens (the famous DEW line) and just about set off World War 3. By the time the Americans realized that this was a false alarm, 3,000 nuclear-armed bombers had been scrambled into airborne attack positions aimed at the USSR, and several hundred were already very close to Russian airspace when the call came in to stand down and return to base. Without any of us knowing about this until later, the world came to within fifteen minutes of nuclear war. That was a REALLY scary time.
ITMB Titles Out of Stock at the moment:
We regret to note that the current state of the international map market is weaker than any of us would like. Although other publishers may not advertise the fact, all of us are affected by lower sales and less revenue coming in, and this affects our ability to bring out new editions as quickly as we want to do. ITMB’s distributors and retailers are also taking longer to ‘sell through’ inventory in their possession, which affects our timing and ability to update. As a result, please be prepared for any ITM title that becomes unavailable to be out of print for a longer time than previously was our practice. However, we will continue to develop and publish new titles as always!
Alberta/BC (is being replaced by a new Alberta map), Bahamas (is awaiting time for updating), Georgia(is being updated), Guianas Region (is now included with Guyana), Israel/Palestine is being updated. Papua New Guinea (is being re-worked into a double-sided map with eastern Indonesia), Togo/Benin(is being updated), and US Virgin Islands(is awaiting updating or re-working).
NEW ITMB ARTWORK CLOSE TO COMPLETION or AT PRESS
At the moment, we have only a few titles actually at press, with a lot of titles arriving back from printing. Our new Chile and Argentina Road Atlas is still at press, because we are adding new information gleaned from three weeks of extensive research in the region, so we expect it in late-February.
Our Europe Railway Map has now run out of copies and is being updated, adding more rail lines than previously were included, to reflect the new high-speed lines coming in to existence. It is now at the printers ans we hope to have it available again in late-February. Georgia has run out of copies and is under-going a thorough updating, so won’t be available again before March. Israel/Palestine is at press for an anticipated release in late February. Jasper National Park (Canada) is now out of copies. It will be re-worked into a new double-sided map for release later this year. Papua New Guinea has been updated. We’re creating a new map for the reverse side, and don’t expect this title to be back in print until May. US Virgin Islands and Bahamas have both run out of copies, but no decision has yet been made as to what to do about these titles. Rio ran out of copies a few days ago and is being updated.
NEW TITLES January, 2010
Algeria Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2010 – is NOW at press, but apparently wasn’t when I listed it in the previous Axis newsletter. My mistake. There were some last-minute glitches to sort out in the artwork, and now we expect this important title to be in our warehouse in mid-February. This will be ITMB’s 36th title related directly to Africa, an area that will see several updating projects in 2010.
Botswana, including Zimbabwe, Travel Reference Map 5th Ed. 2010 1:1,500,000/1:1,000,000 ISBN 9781553411475 UPC 815534114716 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP – This is the fifth time that we have updated and re-issued our travel map of Botswana. Updating is necessary, not only to record new information, but to keep the artwork compliant with current software. As computers become more refined, we are able to finesse maps more readily to make things more readable or to add new features. We visited Botswana about two years ago, and I have fond memories of a Bushman encampment near Maun, dancing with an extremely short lady with an enormous bottom, of almost running our of petrol because the station at Ghanzi was dry, and of a majestic male kudu antelope crashing out of the bush onto the roadway mere seconds before we were to cross that same patch of land. The animal leaped into the air and disappeared somewhere on the other side of the track. This all happened in an instance, but is one of the reasons Africa is so enjoyable. The other change to this map is that we have added Zimbabwe to the reverse side, to make the map more useful to users combining a trip to Botswana with a visit to ravaged Zimbabwe. We will continue to sell our map of Zimbabwe as a separate title. AVAILABLE
Chile & Argentina ITM Travel Atlas (including Easter Island) 1st Ed. 2010 is at press stage but has been delayed, to enable improved road information to be added as a result of our recent trip to the region. Printing is now being done, and we hope to have this long-delayed map in our warehouse late in February.
China Wall Map 1:2,300,000 2010, plotted – This is a new venture for ITMB and one that is not available to distributors or retailers yet. We are in the process of creating digital files for selected ITM titles that are being created as wall maps. These maps will not be printed at this time, but are available as plots. Due to the expense of plotting single copies, the retail price is high ($59.95us), and there is insufficient margin to offer discounts to retailers or distributors yet. Be patient; this is a work in progress, and we are feeling our way into a new and previously unexplored territory. We would appreciate your input into how this can be developed as a viable distribution product. At the moment, all sales have to be centred in Vancouver.
EarthBall Inflatable Globe 16”/40cm in sealed display bag with header ISBN/UPC 081539736264 $17.95cdn, $14.95us, E11.95, 10.99GBP – Well, this is something new for ITMB!!! The EarthBall is actually manufactured by a small firm in the States and we are handling their international marketing. The EarthBall is a physical globe of the world as seen from outer space (no place names overlaid) created with NASA satellite photos. The world’s major cities glow in the dark and the sealed polypak includes a 16 page Global Handbook of educational activities. Here are a couple of endorsements: “The EarthBall is an incredible reality globe of our world” and “It’s one of the most amazing kid magnets I’ve ever seen!”. This is a different ‘packaging’ of a map than is normally provided by ITMB, but is good quality, test-marketed in Canada, USA, Italy, and the Czech Republic, and is now being offered to all of ITMB’s distributors and retailers at normal discounts, and, of course, to all of our web site customers. It has been available in our retail location for the past three years, and is one of those timeless products that never dates, never changes, and has an eternal shelf life. Fortunately, it is also a good selling item that is AVAILABLE.
Georgia Travel Reference Map – is being updated, going to press in early February, and should be available again in late February, I hope.
Germany Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 2010, waterproof, 1:650,000 ISBN 9781553412205 UPC 815534122063 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP– This is the latest “new” title from ITMB. This is completely new artwork in the new design we are introducing for Europe as time passes and current editions run out of copies. France, Greece, and Spain have already been released in this new design and are selling well. Germany is, of course, the economic powerhouse that makes the EU work and the country’s touristic potential is enormous. As someone who travels to Germany each year for business and pleasure, I can say that it is a country with a close attachment to its long history, with something to offer every visitor. This map is not only much more detailed than the previous edition, showing many more smaller roads and villages, but includes major touristic sites. Printed double-sided on strong, durable ITM plastic paper; AVAILABLE.
Israel and Palestine Travel Reference Map – is at press and is expected late in February
Jakarta ITM City Map 1st Ed. 2010 1:21,000/1:75,000 ISBN 9781553416517 UPC 815534165114 $10.95cdn/us, E6.95 6.99GBP – Indonesia is emerging quickly as one of the power-houses of Asia. Jakarta is a huge urban area, with a charming city centre. This double-sided map shows Greater Jakarta on one side, with its expressways and inter-urban train network and is, in my opinion very useful to business visitors to the city. It includes the airport, the city centre, the enormous soccer stadium (worth a visit), and the roads connecting the different ‘neighbourhoods of this spread-out city. The other side concentrates on the central core of Jakarta, which is where most visitors would spend most time. Road and rail connections are clearly shown, as well as a good range of embassies, museums, hotels, gas stations, religious buildings, hospitals, and touristic attractions. Asian cities tend not to be well-mapped; the last map of the city that I recall was done about ten years ago, so this should fill a gap. ITMB also publishes a map of the island of Java, for those planning trips beyond the city. Printed on paper AVAILABLE.
Lima and Central Peru Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 2010 1:13,000/1:1,500,000 ISBN 9781553416562 UPC 815534165626 $10.95cdn/us, E6.95 6.99GBP - Peru is one of the most popular travel destinations in South America, and everyone going there arrives in Lima, which is a very large and complicated city. In this edition, we have updated all the information for the city, covering the portion between the ocean and the historic centre and southerly to the Miraflores district. Lima is not blessed with a good rapid transit system, but we show the two lines and the busway, embassies, hotels, shopping areas, historic sites etc. the new part of the map is a detailed travel map of the central portion of Peru on the other side. This side would be particularly useful for those visitors planning to travel from Lima to Cuzco, or Pisco, or north to Cajamarca., or even into the upper reaches of the Amazon. It has excellent road information, and hundreds of touristic points of interest are noted on the map. This map is printed double-sided, on paper; AVAILABLE.
Lower Mainland (BC) and the Richmond/New Westminster area Topographic/Recreation Map 92G&92G2 and G3 2010, waterproof, 1:250,000/1:50,000 ISBN 9781553418276 UPC 815534182715 – With the 2010 Winter Olympics bearing down on us, this very timely map presents a lovely regional map showing all of the Olympic venues (the Games are being held in Vancouver, Richmond, UBC, Whistler, and the Callaghan Valley – not just in Vancouver). The area of coverage is from Everett (just north of Seattle) in the USA to north of Pemberton, and from Victoria in the west to Chilliwack in the east on the one side, and a detailed !:50,000 topo map of the Richmond/New Westminster/Surrey/Langley outer urban areas of Metro Vancouver. Both maps are Government of Canada NTS maps, overlaid with touristic and recreational information by ITMB, which holds the copyright on behalf of the Queen (I love being able to say that). The Lower Mainland portion is particularly useful, in that it includes the east coast of Vancouver Island, from Victoria to Nanaimo and west to French River, all of the Gulf Islands (Cdn) and the San Juan Islands (USA), detailed road information for the American portion of the region from just north of Seattle to the border, and, again, very detailed road information on the Canadian side all the way north to Whistler and beyond, including most of the Sunshine Coast, all of Garibaldi and Golden Ears Parks, and, of course, all of the Olympic Games venues.
The Richmond to Langley side of the map consists of two 1:50,000 government topographic maps merged together to cover all of 92G2 and 92G3 areas. This won’t mean much to people outside of Canada, but all of Canada is divided into 13,500 topographic mapping areas, of which these are two. These exceptionally detailed survey maps show all roads, major buildings, ferry routes, geographical information, and neighbourhoods from the US border (49th Parallel to about 25th Ave in the City of Vancouver (49degrees/15minutes) and from the ocean to Maple Ridge/Langley. The map has been overlaid with touristic and recreational information, and updated to show recent rapid transit and bridge information. This is an excellent map for anyone coming to Vancouver for the Olympics, but is also a lovely long-term map of one of the most attractive areas of Canada; printed double-sided on durable ITM waterproof paper AVAILABLE.
Mackenzie River (Yukon) Wall Map, plotted – please see notes on China Wall Map, above
Mexico Baja California Travel Reference Map 7th Ed. 2010, on waterproof paper 1:650,000 ISBN 9781553415435 UPC 815534154347 $10.95cdn/us, E6.95 6.99GBP N.B. Please note that this map has been price-reduced by $2, E1, and 1GBP from the previous edition – The long peninsula on the north-western edge of Mexico (the ‘lost’ province of Alta California being the temporary possession of that country to the north) is a favourite travel destination for visitors from all over the world, whether they be day-trippers crossing into Tijuana, RVers headed for the Gulf, 4x4ers wanting to explore the dreaded Viscaino Desert, or intrepid explorers wanting to experience a part of Mexico that has always prided itself as being a little ‘different’. I remember the first time Kevin Healey and I visited the peninsula in 1988. He couldn’t handle the spicy food, and we had to beat a retreat to the north after three days, but he produced the definitive Baja map two months later. This digitized, double-sided map is based on his efforts, but has been updated several times since his death, and Lan and I love going to Baja to research updating material. We hardly ever find anything, but we have a wonderful time doing it! Baja is the ideal ‘get-away-from-it-all atmosphere – very little traffic, gorgeous beaches, historic towns and mission sites, great food, fishing, and snorkeling – and a map to die for. Printed on durable ITM plastic paper; AVAILABLE
Uzbekistan Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2010 1:1,580,000 ISBN 9781553414551 UPC 815534145512 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP – Finally! After only 18 years of independence, a travel map of the wonderful country of Uzbekistan has been published. Isn’t it incredible that, after all these years of having nothing but a generalized regional map of Central Asia, nobody thought of doing a country map? Well, they did, and we did, and we struggled quite a bit to prepare the artwork in the process, because it is a damnably difficult country to map. Never before in the history of humankind (sorry, I tend to get a bit carried away when I’m excited, and I am – just think – we’ve finally created a map of UZBEKISTAN!!!). The map is single-sided and portrays roads by categories, place names with correct current spellings (such as Samarqand for Samarkand), and as many points of interest as we could locate accurately. Inset maps of Toshkent (Tashkent) and Samarkand (also known as Samarqand) are included. Even the bizarre-looking subway system of Toshkent is shown. What remains of the Aral Sea is shown. The historic walled city of Xiva is shown, as well as the known stretches of the various ancient Silk Road routes. The country is loaded with fascinating-sounding cities – Kattaqo’rg on is my favourite; I have no idea how to pronounce it, but Qo’qon sounds so unusual as to be tempting to visit. Uzbekistan is exotic, different, a feast for the jaded traveller. Ever since I read the Rubiat of Omar Khayan I’ve had a vision of faraway Samarkand and a desire to visit. This is a part of the world few of us know. Well, it’s time to get started, and how better than with a detailed map by the world’s mapping company, ITMB. Printed on paper, AVAILABLE.
TITLES THAT ARRIVED IN DECEMBER, 2009
Beijing and the Great Wall of China 3rd Ed. 2010 1:23,000/1:280,000 ISNB 9781553416012
China ITM Travel Atlas 1st Ed. 124 pages 2010 ISBN 9781553410751
Delhi/Northwestern India Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2010 1:45,000/1:1,900,000 ISBN 9781553416197
Manila ITM City Map 1st Ed. 2010 1:20,000 ISBN 9781553416739
Paraguay Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 2010 1:800,000 ISBN 9781553413707
Sao Paulo/Southern Brasil Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 2010 1:12,500/1:2,200,000 ISBN 9781553416876
Sumatra Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2010 1:110,000 ISBN 9781553415442
Uruguay/Montevideo Travel Reference Map 3rd Ed. 2010 1:800,000/1:10,000 ISBN 9781553414544