The book also provides useful information about world population, the spread of religion, the growth of cities, the global economy, and the depletion of natural resources. Looking ahead it asks: How many people can the Earth support? Where will they live? What will they do for a living? What languages will they speak? How will the boundaries of nations change in the 21st century?

The book includes an extensive flags-and-facts section featuring the flag of every nation in the world, its capital, territories, physical geography, language, economy, and more. It also contains an extensive glossary, lists of sources for further reading, and a complete index. The new National Geographic Almanac of Geography offers all the latest information you need to understand our world and all that is in it.