Barefoot World Atlas is an educational iPad app that is essentially a globe filled with information in the form of text, narration, and photos. As you scroll around and zoom in on the globe, you will discover various points of interest along the earth's surface and the official flag for each country.
Tapping on anything that appears on the globe will give you more information about it. For example, tapping on the strange, horned creature roaming northern Canada gives information about muskoxen -- what they eat, what their coats are like, and why they're even called muskoxen. If you don't want to or cant read the text, you can tap the volume icon to listen to geographer and BBC TV presenter Nick Crane narrate it. I must say -- I do love listening to Nick's British voice! After listening (or reading) about the muskoxen, you can also view a professional photograph to see what a muskox looks like.
If you tap on a country's flag, you'll be given the population, capital city, land area, highest point, currency, number of vehicles, average carbon dioxide emissions, and current weather & time. The main issue with this information is that it's all in US units of measure (feet, miles, Fahrenheit) and the currency rates are with respect to the US dollar. So if you're not from the US, a lot of this information won't be very enlightening.
As you scroll around the globe, the music will change to reflect the region that you're exploring. All of the music is very well done and the transitions blend nicely. I've caught myself leaving the app open while working just to listen to the music (I'm actually listening to the music associated with Colombia as I write this review).
If you come across something you really like and think is especially neat, you can mark it as a favorite for easy access later. You can also search for information by region, country, or feature.
The Good
- Tons of information
- Includes professional photographs and 360 degree images
- Narration is nice
- Population, capital city, land area, highest point, currency, and current weather & time for all countries
- Runs very smoothly
- Search by region, country, or feature
The Bad
- Cannot change units
The bottom line
Barefoot World Atlas is an excellent app for children and adult alike. Everyone is bound to learn something new and have fun at the same time.
$7.99 - Download Now
[gallery link="file"]
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.
