Atlas of Egypt
Egypt · Unknown · 1928
Related Reviews & Articles
The new atlas of Egypt
Sirry Bey, Hussein · 1930
This paper presents the comprehensive geographical atlas of Egypt, compiled under the directive of His Majesty the King, integrating orographical, geological, meteorological, and economic data to provide an up-to-date synthetical overview. The orographical map at 1:1,000,000 scale constitutes the first systematic contouring of the entire country, while comparative analysis with earlier maps demonstrates the significant advances achieved through the adoption of motorized desert transport. Two major discoveries are highlighted: first, in the Libyan Desert, static water-levels of existing sources are shown to delineate a gently curved subsurface piezometric surface, enabling the prediction of well sites independent of surface topography or geology, and two productive wells have already been drilled; second, the identification of the Qattara Depression—an 18,000 km² depression extending below sea level—offers a potential hydroelectric capacity of 200,000 kW, with engineering feasibility studies underway by the Survey of Egypt. The meteorological section incorporates data from 58 meteorological stations in Egypt and Sudan and nearly 100 rainfall-only stations, mapping the entire Nile basin. Economic maps reveal marked spatial disparities: the northern Delta exhibits deficient cultivation and population density, while perennial irrigation in Upper Egypt supports considerably higher land values than basin irrigation, strongly underscoring the urgency of extending irrigation infrastructure. The atlas thus updates geographical knowledge while identifying critical resource and development opportunities for Egypt.
Review: The Atlas of Egypt
Van Cleef, Eugene · 1929
This paper presents a critical review of the *Atlas of Egypt*, compiled, drawn, and printed in Egypt as the country’s contribution to the International Geographical Congress in Cambridge. The work is lauded as a delightful piece of workmanship, with primary credit given to H. Sirry Bey, Surveyor‑General of Egypt since 1927, and his collaborators. The review examines the atlas’s principal map series. The general and orographical maps by Dr. John Ball reflect the vastly increased knowledge of the desert gained through motorized exploration; they display routes of regular motor communication and major recent expeditions, notably those of Prince Kemal el‑Din Hussein. Two striking new features are the Gebel Owenat massif, revealed by Hassanein Bey in 1923, and the Qattara Depression, proven in 1926 to reach 137 m below sea level. The orographic map departs from the international millionth scheme by reserving green exclusively for arable land and using brown and gray tints for desert, thereby emphasizing the fundamental distinction between cultivated and barren terrain. Geological maps by W. F. Hume and O. H. Little supply detailed coverage, especially in the Sinai Peninsula. The meteorological section, by L. J. Sutton, includes six maps of recognized weather types and diagrams showing that relative humidity in the northern Sudan during April–May falls virtually to zero. The population‑density map (1:500 000) is extraordinarily effective, employing pale buff for desert and seven gray‑blue gradations from below 100 to over 1000 persons per km²; its pattern closely matches the map of agricultural raw material value. Economic maps and diagrams, with explanatory text by J. I. Craig, further reveal the density of cotton cultivation (maximum in the middle delta) and the prevalence of double‑cropping. The reviewer concludes that the atlas represents a major cartographic achievement, skillfully synthesizing physical, demographic, and economic data.
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