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My vote would be for the (London) Times Atlas of the World.  Goodes and
NGS have a U.S. bias, that is they include several plates of larger scale
maps of the U.S., while covering the entire continent of Africa in fewer
plates.  The Times Atlas has a U.K. bias, so it might be more appropriate
for Darius.  Rand McNally's International Atlas has no bias, incidently.
It's plates cover the globe at consistant scales.
 
Jim Coombs
Map Librarian
Southwest Missouri State University