National Geographic – See the Historic Maps Declassified by the CIA – A new gallery provides a rare look inside the 75-year history of the agency’s mapping unit: “…in honor of the center’s 75th anniversary this year, the agency has released a remarkable collection of declassified maps that illustrate—and perhaps even played a role in—many significant events in U.S. history..From the beginning, the cartographers had a broad mission—to acquire and create maps and geographic data relevant to national security. “Geographers and cartographers amassed what would be the largest collection of maps in the world and produced strategic maps and 3D plaster terrain models in support of strategic studies and military operational plans,” the CIA says in a statement…”