Re: Compiling World Atlas

[Charlie Smith <chsst14@LIS.PITT.EDU>]

On Mon, 21 Mar 1994, Don Shields wrote:

>         We are writing a multi-user program for a text based World Atlas.
> This is a joint class exercise where students will be gathering / validating
> the information. Although there are many good sources for this information
> we are having a problem getting quality (recent) figures for populations,
> boundaries etc. Most World Facts type books and CIA information is up to
> four years old. Does anyone have a source for up to date information?
>
> Don Shields
> Computer Systems Facilitator
> Mammoth Unified School Dist.
> 6514431@MCIMAIL.COM
>

Don:

The fact of the matter is, population data is hard to come by.  In our
own country we only do an official census every ten years; a lot of
countries in the world have never *had* an official census.  Sure, there
are estimates, and these keep changing, but accuracy is always a
problem.  Otherwise put, it is unlikely that you will find much better
data than what can be obtained in say, *The Statesman's Yearbook* or
*Europa World Yearbook*.  You're not talking about something which has a
currency status of the same dimension as items indexed in *Facts on File*
or the like.

--Charlie S.