function initialize() {
		
      if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
        var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map_canvas"),{backgroundColor: "#99b3cc", mapTypes:G_DEFAULT_MAP_TYPES});
       
        map.setCenter(new GLatLng(15.5527,48.5164), 1);
        map.removeMapType(G_HYBRID_MAP);
        map.addControl(new GOverviewMapControl());
        map.addControl(new GLargeMapControl());
    		G_PHYSICAL_MAP.getMaximumResolution = function () { return 5 }; 
			G_NORMAL_MAP.getMaximumResolution = function () { return 5 }; 
			G_SATELLITE_MAP.getMaximumResolution = function () { return 5 }; 
			G_HYBRID_MAP.getMaximumResolution = function () { return 5 }; 
        //mgr = new MarkerManager(map, {trackMarkers:true});
    
        // Create a base icon for all of our markers that specifies the
        // shadow, icon dimensions, etc.
        var baseIcon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON);
        baseIcon.shadow = "http://www.google.com/mapfiles/shadow50.png";
        baseIcon.iconSize = new GSize(32, 34);
        baseIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(37, 34);
        baseIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(9, 34);
        baseIcon.infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(9, 2);
    	var letteredIcon = new GIcon(baseIcon);
    	letteredIcon.image = "http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/ms/micons/green.png";
    	
    	
        // Creates a marker whose info window displays the letter corresponding
        // to the given index.
        function createMarker(point, name, flag) {
          // Create a lettered icon for this point using our icon class
          //var letter = String.fromCharCode("A".charCodeAt(0) + index);
          //var letteredIcon = new GIcon(baseIcon);
          //letteredIcon.image = "http://www.google.com/mapfiles/marker" + letter + ".png";

          // Set up our GMarkerOptions object
          markerOptions = { title:name, icon:letteredIcon };
          var marker = new GMarker(point, markerOptions);
          var name2 = name.toLowerCase();
          var name2 = name2.split(' ').join('');

          GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
            marker.openInfoWindowHtml("<FONT size=2 face=Verdana><b>" + name + "</b><BR><BR><A href='pms.php?id=worldmission&cty=" + name2 + "'><IMG src=" + flag + " border=0><BR></A></FONT>");
          	map.setZoom(4);
          	//map.setCenter(point,5);
          });
          
          return marker;
        }

		
		// Albania
		var ll_albania = new GLatLng(41.1533, 20.1683);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_albania, "Albania", "images/world/albania.gif"));

		// Australia
		//var ll_australia = new GLatLng(-25.2744, 133.7751);
		//map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_australia, "Australia", "images/world/australia.gif"));

		// Bangladesh 
		//var ll_bangladesh = new GLatLng(23.6850, 90.3563);
		//map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_bangladesh, "Bangladesh", "images/world/bangladesh.gif"));

		// Barbados  
		//var ll_barbados = new GLatLng(13.1939, -59.5432);
		//map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_barbados, "Barbados", "images/world/barbados.gif"));

		// Bolivia   
		//var ll_Bolivia = new GLatLng(-16.2902, -63.5887);
		//map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_Bolivia, "Bolivia", "images/world/bolivia.gif"));
		
		// Ecuador   
		var ll_Ecuador = new GLatLng(-1.8312, -78.1834);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_Ecuador, "Ecuador", "images/world/ecuador.gif"));
		
		// Indonesia   
		var ll_Indonesia = new GLatLng(-3.5893, 120.9213);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_Indonesia, "Indonesia", "images/world/indonesia.gif"));
		
		// Papua New Guinea   
		var ll_NewGuinea = new GLatLng(-6.3150, 143.9556);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_NewGuinea, "Papua New Guinea", "images/world/newguinea.gif"));
		
		// Tanzania   
		var ll_tanzania = new GLatLng(-6.3690, 34.8888);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_tanzania, "Tanzania", "images/world/tanzania.gif"));
		
		// Congo   
		var ll_congo = new GLatLng(-0.2280, 15.8277);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_congo, "Congo Democratic Republic", "images/world/congo.gif"));
		
		// Ghana   
		var ll_ghana = new GLatLng(7.9465, -1.0232);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_ghana, "Ghana", "images/world/ghana.gif"));
		
		// Kenya   
		var ll_kenya = new GLatLng(-0.0236, 37.9062);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_kenya, "Kenya", "images/world/kenya.gif"));
		
		// India   
		var ll_india = new GLatLng(22.5937, 78.9629);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_india, "India", "images/world/india.gif"));
		
		// India   
		var ll_nigeria = new GLatLng(9.0820, 8.6753);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_nigeria, "Nigeria", "images/world/nigeria.gif"));
		
		// Thailand   
		var ll_thailand = new GLatLng(14.8700, 100.9925);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_thailand, "Thailand", "images/world/thailand.gif"));
		
		// South Africa   
		var ll_southafrica = new GLatLng(-29.5595, 22.9375);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_southafrica, "South Africa", "images/world/southafrica.gif"));
		
		// Zambia   
		var ll_zambia = new GLatLng(-13.1339, 27.8493);
		map.addOverlay(createMarker(ll_zambia, "Zambia", "images/world/zambia.gif"));
		
		

		
        // Add 10 markers to the map at random locations
        //var bounds = map.getBounds();
        //var southWest = bounds.getSouthWest();
        //var northEast = bounds.getNorthEast();
        //var lngSpan = northEast.lng() - southWest.lng();
        //var latSpan = northEast.lat() - southWest.lat();
        //for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
        //  var latlng = new GLatLng(southWest.lat() + latSpan * Math.random(),
        //    southWest.lng() + lngSpan * Math.random());
        //  map.addOverlay(createMarker(latlng, i));
       
       //}
      }
    }