Useful Maps of Earth?

[Nifft]

I've been looking for good maps of the Earth of various scales for use in a homebrew world. Can I find them on-line for free, or do I need to pay for a big old atlas?

Specifically, I want:
- Geographic (rivers, plains, mountains, etc.)
- Ecological (types of forrests (great redwood vs. conifer vs. jungle), grasslands, etc. as well as what kind of animals live there)
- Resources (metals, fertile ground, etc.)
- Location & Types of Natural Wonders

And, of course, I want to see what the land looked like BEFORE humans came along & built our cities -- because I want to fill in that part myself!

Is this hopeless?

Thanks for any help! -- Nifft

 

[Stormprince]

Check out National Geographic online. They also have a great resource for blank maps. Excellent website

- Christopher

 

[green slime]

Check out a well equipped Map shop.

Trekking maps at scale 1cm:200m gives good detail for a localised area. This can be great for Wilderness adventures. Especially as the interesting treks are usually in the Nature

 

[fusangite]

A few suggestions:

1. Local road maps. While they include a lot of stuff you don't want to include like interstate highways, they do include terrain features and bodies of water. Often they give you a sense of the natural locations for bridges, fords and ferry routes. They're cheap and easy to use.

2. Back issues of National Geographic. Yard sales and some used bookstores have these, many of which include fold-out maps of obscure areas and the world in various periods of antiquity.

3. Tourism maps. Governments' tourism ministries, forest ministries, Chambers of Commerce and municipalities often produce maps of regions that include wilderness areas, trail routes, etc. Such maps are often free or produced at cost. I'd recommend contacting government agencies and tourist bureaux to get these.