Atlas of French Overseas Departments, 2. Martinique
Atlas des départements français d'Outre-Mer, 2. La Martinique
Martinique · Unknown · 1977
Related Reviews & Articles
The atlas of Martinique
Rouleau, Bernard · 1978
This review examines *L’Atlas de la Martinique*, the second volume in the series of atlases of French overseas departments, published in 1976. The atlas was produced by the CNRS Centre d’Études de Géographie Tropicale in collaboration with the geography departments of the Universities of Aix‑Marseille II and Bordeaux III, the University Centre of the Antilles‑Guyane, and BRGM. Its creation involved about thirty specialists and benefited from extensive documentation provided by numerous local organisations, as well as intensive fieldwork. The work comprises thirty‑seven loose‑leaf colour map plates (48 × 58 cm), each accompanied by explanatory texts, statistical tables, cross‑sections, graphs, and supplementary black‑and‑white maps, forming a graphic and geographic documentation of exceptional quality. The review highlights the careful visual presentation of successive themes, which remains classic yet engaging. Noteworthy cartographic innovations include mesh‑based population density mapping, representations of settlement landscapes, land tenure structures, agricultural machinery, and detailed series on dominant crops—sugarcane and banana. Colour is generously and effectively employed, lending a certain sumptuousness without compromising the richness of the information. Certain themes are appropriately handled with monochrome maps supported by excellent shaded relief. All major problems of the island are addressed through a wide variety of cartographic means. The cartographic realisation, carried out by the Institut Géographique National as for all atlases in the series, perfects the overall quality. The review concludes that the Atlas of Martinique constitutes a first‑rate geographical synthesis, notable for both its scientific depth and its cartographic elegance.
Review: Atlas of the French Overseas Departments. 2. Martinique
Brasseur, Gérard · 1977
The Atlas of Martinique, the second volume after that of Réunion, is an equally successful achievement, thanks to its rigorously comparable presentation and the high-quality information assembled by a team of thirty highly qualified researchers with direct expertise on the subject. This atlas is an indispensable tool for anyone interested in the island. It features a chronological map with a wealth of place names — although, regrettably, still lacking an index — and an accurate description of the natural environment, essential for any human explanation. While the atlas strives to depict the most current situation, the historical dimension is not forgotten. A substantial introductory notice by L. Elisabeth provides insight into the past, explaining the functioning of institutions, the components and fluctuations of population settlement, and offering very interesting details on illegitimacy (in terms of filiation) and social struggles up to the present day. One can only regret that, unlike the Réunion atlas, historical cartography is not expressed beyond a single map from 1734. This map is splendid and highly evocative, with its yellowed paper background, sailboats, accentuated shoreline strokes, shaded relief, depiction of volcanoes, and a very rich toponymy, from which, as the commentator notes, few statistical lessons can unfortunately be drawn. Historical data with quantitative precision and necessary caveats are also found in several other notices: population with its spatio-temporal components and distribution in the countryside inherited from the plantation economy, land tenure structures, and the economy of sugar cane and a few other crops. A document to recommend, a collection to follow.
Tags
Comments
Loading…
0/2000