You don’t wanna miss this: National Geographic World Atlas goes free

National Geographic World Atlas 3.0.1 for iOS (iPad screenshot 004)

National Geographic Society produces some of the most compelling, fact-checked content money can buy and their World Atlas iPad app has long been my go-to reference source, not just for checking out interesting facts and trivia but for doing serious research related to the world’s countries, their economies, demographics and so forth.

They updated the app on January 11 with high-resolution Retina graphics, revamped UI and added a new feature which lets you explore a full 3D view of the globe.

Today, they’re making the app free for a limited time and you’re advised to download it now before the price goes up. Note that this is the first time ever the app has become available as a free download since its 2010 App Store debut…

One of the new features in National Geographic World Atlas version 3.0.1 is the ability to download maps for offline use. Besides, all the maps have been updated for high-def appearance, with some nice infographics that livens up each country’s Flags and Facts section (these include various pieces of information, like socio-economic data, demographics, weather and currency).

New features include:

• Store your pins in the cloud and share them across devices. Plan a trip on your iPad, then use your customized map on your iPhone.
• Add and customize collections of map pins
• Get up-to-the-minute weather
• Check the latest currency conversion rates, or use the currency calculator to convert from one currency to another
• See latitude and longitude indications directly, with a tap of your finger.

National Geographic World Atlas 3.0.1 for iOS (iPad screenshot 002)

You can explore the world in classic, antique, satellite or road map style. Maps are provided by Bing maps.

National Geographic World Atlas 3.0.1 for iOS (iPad screenshot 003)

National Geographic World Atlas 3.0.1 for iOS (iPad screenshot 001)

National Geographic World Atlas is a free download, but for a limited time only so you better hurry up and download the 203MB universal binary right now.

The app is optimized for the iPhone 5 and also supports other iPhones and iPod touch devices running iOS 5.0 or later.