Almanac vs Atlas
It is usual to refer to the almanac and the atlas apart from referring to encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesaurus. Is there any difference between almanac and atlas? Yes, there is certainly a difference between almanac and atlas.
Almanac is a collection of annual reports on demographics, geography, government, agriculture, economics, environment and science. The atlas on the other hand is a conglomeration of maps of all parts of the world and also the maps showing the solar system as well.
It is interesting to note that various versions and editions of almanac and atlas are available across the Internet and also in books. The word ‘almanac’ is said to have been derived from the Spanish Arabic term, ‘almanakh’. The term ‘almanakh’ refers to astronomical tables. On the other hand the word ‘atlas’ is taken from the Greek mythological character of Atlas. He is a figure often depicted as the one carrying a huge sphere on his shoulders.
An atlas in addition to giving geographical details about regions and countries, it also features economic statistics, political boundaries, social and geopolitical configuration too. Further to showing details about the planet Earth, some atlases show minute details about the other planets in the solar system too and their satellites.
An almanac on the other hand contains minute details such as astronomical statistics, recent historical events and topical developments. It is interesting to note that all these details are arranged according to the calendar. In fact it can be said that almanac is characterized by the chronological arrangement of events.
An atlas is published irregularly whereas an almanac is published annually. As a matter of fact an almanac is available in two formats, namely the digital format and the book format. An atlas is also available in an interactive multimedia form. The book form of atlas is more popular for that matter.
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