It’s Geography Awareness Week and this year’s theme is “The Power of Maps.”

At National Geographic, we like maps a lot, but for Juan Valdes, they are his life.

Juan is the official geographer of the National Geographic Society. That means he is in charge of all things map-related. If we are talking about “The Power of Maps,” there is no one better to talk to than Juan.

These are Juan’s six favorite maps. Click on the gallery below to find out why!

National Geographic Society

National Geographic Society

National Geographic Society

National Geographic Society

National Geographic Society

National Geographic Society

Are you excited yet? Bring a map into your classroom for Geography Awareness Week, and tell us about it on Twitter or Facebook using the hashtags #GAW2015 and #TeachNatGeo!