function newImage(arg) {
	if (document.images) {
		rslt = new Image();
		rslt.src = arg;
		return rslt;
	}
}

function changeImages() {
	if (document.images && (preloadFlag == true)) {
		for (var i=0; i<changeImages.arguments.length; i+=2) {
			document[changeImages.arguments[i]].src = changeImages.arguments[i+1];
		}
	}
}

var preloadFlag = false;
function preloadImages(basePath) {
	if (document.images) {
		worldmap_north_america_over = newImage(basePath + "Images/worldmap_north_america.gif");
		worldmap_latin_america_over = newImage(basePath + "Images/worldmap_latin_america.gif");
		worldmap_south_america_over = newImage(basePath + "Images/worldmap_south_america.gif");
		worldmap_europe_over = newImage(basePath + "Images/worldmap_europe.gif");
		worldmap_africa_over = newImage(basePath + "Images/worldmap_africa.gif");
		worldmap_middle_east_over = newImage(basePath + "Images/worldmap_middle_east.gif");
		worldmap_asia_over = newImage(basePath + "Images/worldmap_asia.gif");
		preloadFlag = true;
	}
}