NEWSLETTER NO. 10 OF 2008

       Anyway, I’m tired of the phrase “We’re going through tough times”. Of course we are – all times are tough. So the property increasing value bubble has burst; well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Now, banks are crying the blues because they loaned too much money to people who couldn’t pay them back. So now we’re all suffering, because these same banks have frozen credit, called in loans unnecessarily, turfed thousands of people out of their homes, forced thousands of businesses to refinance at higher interest rates, and have taken tens of billions of taxpayer dollars/Euros/pounds and used these funds to prop up their own prosperity. How many good firms in our trade have their backs to the wall and are being squeezed dry as a result of this chicanery??? Everyone in the map trade is suffering – retailers, distributors, and publishers. So what are we going to do about it – cry? No. We’re going to hunker down and wait out the storm. Thirty years in business have taught me one big lesson: the bad times come, but they don’t stay. Believe what Uncle Jack says – the sun is still shining, the vast majority of workers are still gainfully employed, and good times will come once this storm passes.

      ITMB has published another seven or eight titles this month, including our first new title on Africa in several years – Egypt, and a brilliant new map of Nepal. We have five more titles at press, and a dozen projects on the go. Hard times be damned! The world needs a great map of Nova Scotia and we’re going to provide it! Also, Tehran, and what about Kashmir? Don’t you believe there is a market for a detailed map of northern India? How about Uzbekistan? Of course there is a need for these maps and a market willing to buy quality!

NEW PROJECTS UNDERWAY

       At the moment, we are finalizing updated artwork for a first-ever map of the Western Region of China, a first-ever map of Uzbekistan, and another of Turkmenistan, and a third of the Central Asian countries as a region, a brand new map of Tehran, a first-ever map of Nunavut, a city map of Marekkesh and region, and a new double-sided map of Las Vegas, another of Northern India, and yet another of Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island. We’re working on another exciting area that has never been mapped properly – Labrador, as well as Newfoundland. Hey, can a map of the western half of the USA be far behind? How about a great map of Alberta? Even better, how about Munich? There are so many maps needing to be done that we’ll need the next twenty years to complete all the ones on our current wish list. These are underway. Next year will come Bahrein, Chongching, Damascus, Greece, and a host of other exciting travel destinations! Just keep the faith.

NEW TITLES November, 2008

Bolivia Travel Reference Map 2^nd Ed. 2009 1:1,250,000, waterproof, ISBN 9781553411376 UPC 815534113740 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.50GBP – This is one of the more exotic travel destinations in the world. A land-locked country, Bolivia is improving its infrastructure to make itself more enticing for well-heeled visitors. This edition updates recent road improvements. ITMB’s latest edition is printed on plastic paer, double-sided, with a good inset map of La Paz; AVAILABLE.

British Columbia Travel Road Atlas 1^st Ed. 2008 1:925,000(south)/1:1,250,000(north) 76 pages, paper, ISBN 9781553419860 UPC 815534198600 $9.95cdn/us, E7.95 6.50GBP This is an exceptional title at an exceptionally low price. BC is the most visited province of Canada and yet is too big to fit on to a standard sized map sheet, even double-sided, and show off its assets to best advantage. An atlas format (4”x6”) allows us space to show the roads and points of interest at a better scale and in a convenient format for driving. Also included are inset maps of Vancouver, Victoria, and Whistler, as well as a detailed place names index; AVAILABLE.

British Columbia South Travel Reference Map 2^nd Ed. 2009 1:925,000 ISBN 9781553418665 UPC 815534186621 $8.95cdn/us, E7.95 6.50GBP – The first edition of this map proved to be so popular that we sold out quickly. As a result, the number of changes are few. The region is one of the prime travel destinations in North America, with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Covering the Canadian Rockies and other chains of mountains between Calgary and Vancouver, this map shows all possible routes and hundreds of wilderness campsites; printed on paper, double-sided; AVAILABLE.

Bulgaria Travel Reference Map 2^nd Ed. 2009 1:375,000, waterproof, ISBN 9781553411505 UPC 97815534115010 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.50GBP – This update follows our recent visit to Bulgaria, and reflects the latest information available to us from the newest member of the European Union. Printed on ITM plastic paper, this map continues to expand our growing range of specialist maps covering Europe: AVAILABLE.

Cameroun and Gabon Travel Reference Maps 2^nd Ed. 2009 1:1,500,000/1:950,000 ISBN 9781553411574 UPC 815534115799 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.50GBP – Cameroun, or Cameroon in French, is one of the most interesting countries in West Africa to visit. The far north has lava outcrops and unusual villages, the centre is excellent agricultural land, and the south is steamy tropical forest. This updated edition is being combined with a separate map of the country of Gabon on the reverse side, to make better use of the paper. However, Gabon continues to be available as a separate title. Printed on paper; AVAILABLE.

China West Half Travel Reference Map 1^st Ed. 2009 1:3,000,000 – at press, due mid-December.

Egypt Travel Reference Map 1^st Ed. 2009 1:1,650,000 waterproof, ISBN 9781553411956 UPC 815534119513 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.50GBP – This is our first brand new country map of an African travel destination, and oiginated with a visit Lan and I made to Egypt in 2006. Although maps of the country were available in Europe, we could not find locally produced maps, nor were any of the maps we had from Europe up to date. This is a double-sided map, with the entire vast country on one side, and a more detailed map of the Nile River valley (from the delta’s mouth to Luxor) on the other side. Basic inset maps of Alexandria and Cairo are included; AVAILABLE.

Greece Travel Reference Map 1^st Ed. 2009 – at press, due mid-December.

India Travel Reference Map 5^th Ed. 2009 1:2,100,000 – at press, due mid-December.

Krakow(prev. Cracow) ITM City Map 1^st Ed. 2008 1:8,000 ISBN 9781553416272 UPC 815534162724 $10.95cdn/us, E7.95 6.50GBP – Poland is emerging from its ‘eastern’ era as a vibrant and historic country, full of interesting castles and ancient cities. One of the leading icons of tradition-laden Europe is the medieval cloth centre of Krakow (formerly called Cracow). The city centre of the city is so full of pristine old buildings that the entire centre is a heritage area. The Cloth Hall in the market square is one of the greatest repositories of tapestries in Europe. St. Mary’s Cathedral is breath-taking and, when full to the entranceway with worshipers, as it was when I was there, is awe-inspiring. Our map of Krakow, ITMB’s third map for Poland, concentrates on the central portion of the city, with a large inset of the central pedestrian area and with a regional inset map showing roads to Auschwitz (now called Oswiecim) and to Katowice. Krakow is also home to the famous 700-year old salt mine complex, Wieliczka, where IMTA held it’s famous conference banquet one unforgettable evening. This map is dedicated to our good friend Elizabeth, for all she has done to promote maps in poland and abroad, and for all she did to make that conference so memorable. Thank you, Elizabeth. AVAILABLE

Miami and South Florida Travel Reference Map 1^st Ed. 2009 1:12,500/1:400,000 ISBN 9781553416746 UPC 815534167408 $10.95cdn/us, E7.95 6.50GBP – This is a new title for ITMB. One side contains a detailed map of most of Miami and southern Miami Beach, showing the downtown, the expressways, and the cruise ship docks, as well as the major hotels along the beach. The other side covers all of Florida south of Cape Coral/West Palm Beach in excellent detail, including the famous Florida Keys. This is third most-visited touristic destination in the world, after Orlando and Las Vegas, and finally completes our detailed mapping for this densely populated US state. Printed on ITM plastic paper, double-sided; AVAILABLE.

Nepal Travel Reference Map 3^rd Ed. 2009 1:530,000 ISBN 978155341 UPC 815534134158 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.50GBP – This is a completely new map, using original ITMB artwork (the previous edition was licenced from a British firm). It is a double-sided (east half/west half) map with good inset maps of Kathmandu and of its surrounding valley, excellent hypsometry, and as detailed a rendering of the roads as has been possible. The civil unrest that beset this lovely country is now a thing of the past, and Nepal is enjoying a well-deserved touristic boom. The map is printed on paper, double-sided, AVAILABLE.

Orlando and Central Florida Travel Reference Map 1^st Ed. For Orlando side, 2^nd Ed. For Central Florida side 2008 1:12,000 (Orlando) 1:400,000 (Central FL) ISBN 9781553416791 UPC 815534167910 $10.95cdn/us, E7.95 6.50GBP – The title of most popular vacation spot on earth is claimed by two cities – Orlando and Las Vegas – both in the States. Sorry London and Paris, but apparently you’re down the list a ways. We don’t want to play favourites, so we’re publishing both cities, with Orlando coming out first. When one thinks of Central Florida, most people probably think of Disneyworld or other theme parks, and orange groves. There are a LOT of things to see and do in this part of Florida, which is why it is so popular with visitors. Surprisingly, good maps of the region are few, as we discovered during the IMTA map conference there a couple of years ago. Frustrated by inaccurate freebie maps and discouraged by the simplistic maps available from commercial firms, we’ve tried to create a ‘break-through’ map, combining the various attractions immediately surrounding Orlando itself, such as a detailed map of the Disneyland complex, the Universal Studios’ amazing theme area, and the hotel strip along Interstate 4, and including a detailed map of Orlando itself. The reverse side contains an updated edition of our Central Florida map, covering all the attractions between saint Petersburg and the Suncoast to Cape Canaveral and the Space Coast, and from Lake Okeechobee in the south to Tavares in the north. AVAILABLE

Paris and Northern France 2^nd Ed. 2009 1:11,000/1:1,700,000 waterproof ISBN 9781553416869 UPC 815534168641 $10.95cdn/us, E7.95 6.50GBP – The French capital of Paris is a very popular travel destination, and our new edition will be enhanced by updates and a map of much of northern France on the reverse side. This map will be useful for those driving to Paris, and well as those in the city planning a day trip by road or rail to such interesting cities as Reims or Senlis. NOTE: This map will not be available until January. Printed on ITM plastic paper, double-sided. NOT AVAILABLE YET!!

Quebec Province, Canada, Travel Reference Map 2^nd Ed. 2009 1:1,100,000/1:1,750,000 ISBN 9781553418245 UPC 815534182470 $8.95cdn/us, E7.95 6.50GBP – This revised edition of our popular map of Canada’s wonderful province of Quebec continues ITMB’s commitment to map all parts of our country in detail – and detail abounds on this map. Thousands of lakes are shown and, while this may not sell more copies, it reflects the precision and attention to detail that permeates this map. Quebec is not only a very interesting part of this vast country, it is truly unique and celebrates the fact. We agree! Vive Quebec! AVAILABLE.

Shanghai and South East China Travel Reference Map 2^nd Ed. 2009 1:16,000/1:2,500,000 ISBN 9781553416883 UPC 815534168801 $10.95cdn/us, E7.95 6.50GBP – This updated map of rapidly-changing Shanghai has been enhanced in this edition by being printed on ITM waterproof plastic paper and by the addition of a separate map on the reverse side of all of South East China. The regional map covers from Nanning to Beijing, so perhaps covers a wider area than just Fujian and Guangdong provinces, but this is a much more detailed map than anything we have attempted before, and is an excellent aid to anyone based in Shanghai and thinking of travelling to Xi’an, or Guilin, as well as closer destinations. The Shanghai side has been updated with the latest road and subway additions including, for the first time on any map, the route of the new MAGLEV line being built through the southern part of the city. Double-sided, on ITM plastic, AVAILABLE.

Tokyo and Central Japan Travel Reference Map 3^rd Ed. 2009 1:15,000/1:850,000 – at press, due mid-Dec.

OTHER RECENT TITLES

Belize Travel Reference Map, hard covered version (re-introduced) ISBN 9781553411352 $8.95cdn/us E6.95 4.99GBP – AVAILABLE.

Bhutan Travel Reference Map 3^rd Edition 2008 1:380,000 ISBN 9781553411390 UPC 815534113900 $12.95cnd/us E8.95 6.99GBP  ISBN change; AVAILABLE.

Bowron Lakes Canoe Route 1^st Ed. 2008 1:50,000 ISBN 9781553418511 $14.95cdn/us AVAILABLE

Brisbane and Queensland Travel Referecne Map 1^st Ed. 2008 1:10,000/1:3,600,000 ISBN 9781553416265 UPC 815534162601 $10.95cdn/us, E7.95 6.50GBP AVAILABLE.

Cairo and Nile Delta Travel Reference Map 2^nd Edition 2008 1:12,500/1:700,000 ISBN 9781553416258 UPC 815534162526 $12.95cdn/us E8.95 6.99GBP  AVAILABLE.

Canadian Rockies Travel Reference Map 1^st Ed. 2008 1:250,000 ISBN 9781553418887 UPC 815534188878 $14.95cdn/us, E8.95 6.99GBP AVAILABLE

Cariboo Chilcotin (BC) Travel Reference Map 1^st Ed. 2008 1:300,000 ISBN 9781553419808 UPC 815534198044 $9.95cdn/us E7.95 5.99GBP –  AVAILABLE.

Cuba Travel Reference Map 5^th Ed. 2008 1:600,000 ISBN 9781553411864 UPC 815534118622 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 6.99GBP AVAILABLE

Italy Travel Reference Map 2^nd Ed. 2008 1:800,000 ISBN 9781553412588 UPC 815534125835 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 6.99GBP AVAILABLE

Italy North EastTravel Reference Map 1^st Edition 2008 1:250,000 ISBN 9781553410720 UPC 815534107268 $12.95cdn/us E8.95 6.99GBP – AVAILABLE.

Jordan and Syria Travel Reference Map 2^nd Ed. 2008 1:700,000/1:850,000 ISBN 9781553414247 UPC 815534142412 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 6.99GBP AVAILABLE

Northwest Territories, Canada, Travel Reference Map 2^nd Ed. 2008 1:1,300,000 ISBN 9781553418429 UPC 815534184252 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 6.99GBP –  AVAILABLE.

Okanagan/Shuswap Travel Reference Map 1^st Ed. 2008 1:300,000 ISBN 9781553418702 UPC 815534187000 $9.95cdn/us, E7.95 5.99GBP AVAILABLE.

Peru South and Lima (re-introduced) Travel Reference Map 1^st Edition ISBN 9781553413653 $10.95cdn/us E7.95 5.99GBP – AVAILABLE.

Revelstoke National Park Region 1^st Ed. 2008 1:50,000 ISBN 9781553418504 $14.95cdn/us AVAILABLE

Sicily Travel Reference Map 1^st Edition 2008 1:250,000 ISBN 9781553410713 UPC 815534107183 $12.95cdn/us E8.95 6.99GBP – AVAILABLE.

South Africa Travel Reference Map 3^rd Ed. 2009 1:1,500,000 ISBN 9781553414063 UPC 815534140630 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.50GBP AVAILABLE.

South America Travel Atlas 1^st Ed. 2008 1:3,000,000 ISBN 9781553410980 UPC 815534109804 $19.95cdn/us, E14.95 10.99GBP – AVAILABLE

Sri Lanka/South India Travel Reference Map 2^nd Ed. 2008 1:475,000 ISBN 9781553414124 UPC 815534141286 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 6.99GBP AVAILABLE.

Sudan Travel Reference Map 3^rd Ed. 2009 1:2,500,000 ISBN 9781553414162 UPC 815534141606 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.50GBP AVAILABLE.

Strathcona Plateau/Buttle Lake (BC Topo/Rec) Map 1^st Ed. 2008 1:250,000 $14.95 cdn/us AVAILABLE

Tweedsmuir Provincial Park Region 1^st Ed. 2008 1:250,000 ISBN 9781553418894 $14.95cdn/us AVAILABLE

Zambia Travel Reference Map 4^th Ed. 2009 1:1,500,000 ISBN 9781553414650 UPC 815534146158 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.50GBP