If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the U.S. Census Bureau’s new Census Atlas of the United States speaks volumes about how the nation’s population and housing characteristics have changed over the years. The atlas, with more than 700 full-color maps, is the first general population and housing statistical atlas published by the Census Bureau since 1925.

     Featuring more than 300 pages and weighing about 7 pounds, the atlas presents data from 1790 through 2000. It is arranged by topic and grouped into three general themes — who we are, where we come from and what we do. Most maps feature county-level detail for the United States and Puerto Rico.

     “The Census Atlas of the United States is an invitation to spend several hours considering the characteristics of our country,” said former Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. “These maps do not merely offer graphic representations of the facts and data. They reveal the relationships among our nation’s people and the states, cities and counties where they have chosen to live. In short, the book tells the story of our nation — its past, present and future.”

     Census Atlas of the United States is available on the Census Bureau Web site <http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/censusatlas/>. A print copy of the Census Atlas can be purchased from the Government Printing Office online bookstore at <http://bookstore.gpo.gov>.