A 40-foot by 40-foot map of Washington D.C. is being used by officials to plan the January 20 inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. The giant map shows the precise locations of portable toilets, loudspeakers, video screens and more so that every detail of the inauguration is thought through for which might be the largest inauguration crowd in American history. If you're interested in logistical and planning details of the inauguration, the Washington Post's Inauguration Watch blog is not to be missed!

One of my favorite demographers, Wendell Cox, analyzes recent U.S. Census Bureau data on migration within the United States. He has an interesting perspective on the movement of people between states and especially out of some major states on the blog newgeography.

The BBC has produced a new map that shows the last 24 hours of military activity in and around the Gaza region and southern Israel. Also included are a detailed timeline of the conflict along with a profile of the region.

The BBC provides an updated map of the conflict in Gaza showing locations of attacks and ground forces, based on the available information. For additional maps of the region, see my World Atlas page for Palestine.