Jim, The English language version of NGM sold in The Netherlands is ifp with the odd metric unit as is the case in the US edition. I think that it is the US edition. The Dutch language edition is SI throughout, and the maps or charts are translated to Dutch too,
Han ----- Original Message ----- From: "James R. Frysinger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, 2002-01-31 16:52 Subject: [USMA:17795] National Geographic - Antarctic map > We recently received the latest issue of National Geographic and I found that it contains a very nice two-sided chart of the Antarctic. This was meant to accompany an article in the previous issue but the events of last September threw their planning of articles into a dither. The chart is obviously metric-based. There are two distance scales (kilometers and statute miles), but the color coding keys are all in rational metric units with soft-ifp conversions on shown on the secondary axis. For example, the elevation color key runs from 4000 m to -5000 m with the other side of the color bar running from 13,124 ft to -16,405 ft (commas are theirs). Sea ice velocities run logarithmically from 0.1 m/d to 1000 m/d (0.3 ft/d to 3,280 ft/d). I've noticed for some time that the NGM graphics are much more likely to include metric units and this one is hard SI (except for a few oddities such as ozone measuremnts in Dobson Units, which they fail to provide the obscure definition of). I suspect that this is so the maps can be used in all their various NGM edtions written in the English language, not just the ones for the U.S. What about the National Geographic magazines in the UK and Canada? Do they merely use the same edition printed for distribution in the U.S.? What about NGMs in other languages? Are the charts also translated into those languages or are French, Dutch, Italian, German, etc. speakers forced to read the charts and maps in English? With color coded charts, one could merely translate the legends on the keys without redoing the entire chart. Perhaps this is why the Antarctic chart is hard metric. Aside and disclaimer: I declined to renew my subscription to the Smithsonian Magazine a few years ago because of their shunning the metric system. However, we receive the National Geographic as a gift from my parents, whom I love even more than the SI. Jim
