The ninth edition of the National Geographic Atlas of the World is now available; the official publication date was yesterday. The press release outlines some of the changes from the eighth edition, which came out in 2005:

Eleven of the 20 world thematic spreads cover new topics — population trends; urbanization; the rise of city dominance; economic and environmental impact of cities; health and wellness; the human condition; natural hazards; biodiversity; agriculture and food; technology and communication; and fuels and energy.

The topographic relief on the World physical and continental maps has been revised using the latest digital terrain data. The atlas also includes nine brand new regional plates: Greenland; the Amazon region; Greece and the Aegean with Cyprus; the Caucasus; Iraq and Iran; the Arabian Peninsula; Afghanistan and Pakistan; the Korean Peninsula; and the Horn of Africa.

The Oceans section is completely new, and the Space section has been fully revamped and includes new imagery from the Hubble Telescope. The moon map is based on a newly generated satellite mosaic superimposed over a digital relief model; the Mars map more accurately portrays this planet’s terrain based on imagery derived from the Mars Orbital Surveyor …

It’s available now at Amazon.com and the National Geographic Store, among other places; the National Geographic Store also has softcover, personalized and platinum editions for sale.

Previously: National Geographic World Atlas: Eighth Edition on Sale, Ninth Edition Coming Soon.

• Buy National Geographic Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition (hardcover) at Amazon.com
• Buy National Geographic Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition (hardcover) at the National Geographic Store.
• Buy National Geographic Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition (softcover) at the National Geographic Store.
• Buy National Geographic Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition (personalized) at the National Geographic Store.
• Buy National Geographic Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition (Platinum Edition with case) at the National Geographic Store.
• Buy National Geographic Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition (Platinum Edition without case) at the National Geographic Store.