Atlas of Kenya
Kenya · Unknown · 1959
Related Reviews & Articles
Reviews: Atlas of Kenya
Unknown · 1961
This paper provides a critical review of the first Atlas of Kenya, produced by the Survey of Kenya. The atlas contains 40 fully coloured plates illustrating the country’s physical geography, principal towns, political and administrative divisions, and the distribution of economic assets alongside selected pests and diseases. Supplementary elements include notes on the spelling and pronunciation of place names, five black‑and‑white historical maps, and a gazetteer. Six provincial maps are drawn at 1:1,000,000, while the majority of national thematic maps (except two meteorological charts) employ a scale of 1:3,000,000. The review evaluates cartographic design, commending the excellent colour registration and generally harmonious colour choices, though the strong colour juxtapositions on Plates 10, 12, and 16 are noted as visually jarring. The 1:1,000,000 sheets are praised for clarity, yet the excessive use of vivid red lines for roads—especially on the Nairobi Extra‑Provincial District and Environs map—creates visual clutter. The compilation required extensive research and meticulous editing, reflected in thematic coverage of drainage, geology, soils, tribal and ethnographic patterns, communications, police organization, and exploration. The Exploration map (Plate 34) is highlighted for its exceptional historical research, recording 28 early explorers such as Krapf, Stanley, Thomson, Teleki, Lugard, and Delamere, and serving as a gracious tribute to their legacy. Overall, the atlas represents a remarkable cartographic achievement, balancing rich informational content with considered design, and stands as both a practical reference work and a historical document.
Reviews of Books: The Atlas of Kenya
Unknown · 1960
This paper reviews the first edition of the Atlas of Kenya, a landmark cartographic work modeled on the celebrated Atlas of Tanganyika and published at a time of heightened international attention to Kenya. The atlas is commended for its elegant loose‑leaf binding, large format, and high‑quality printing. The core consists of 25 thematic maps at 1:3,000,000 on a standard grey or brown base, displaying key geographical distributions and administrative concerns with attractive overprinting and clear typography. Provincial maps at 1:1,000,000 show communications, settlement, drainage, and relief through contours and layer‑tinting restricted to provincial boundaries, a technique that emphasizes provincial shape but breaks continuity of physical features across borders. Twenty town maps at various scales and a selection of historical maps on buff paper enrich the collection. The review identifies the agricultural and communications maps as overly complex or crowded and suggests simplification. The population map is criticized for using a unit dot value as high as 5000, which fails to capture population structure and racial composition; maps or diagrams illustrating demographic makeup, particularly Kenya’s emerging multi‑racial society, are recommended. Although cost and specialization limit its use in school libraries, the atlas is deemed an indispensable reference for students of Kenyan geography. The Survey of Kenya is warmly congratulated for this outstanding production, and constructive suggestions for future editions are offered.
Reviews: Atlas of Kenya
Unknown · 1961
This brief review introduces the newly published *Atlas of Kenya*, the country’s first national atlas, which offers a comprehensive synopsis of its physical and human geography. Compiled, drawn, and printed by the Survey of Kenya under the direction of R. J. Butler and edited by B. A. McArthur-Davis, the first edition appeared in late 1959. The atlas consists of forty-five clearly produced plates that maintain a high standard of cartography. In addition to standard maps of physical and human geography, it presents a wide range of administrative maps. Provincial maps at the scale of 1:1,000,000 are layer-coloured, with communications emphasized and a limited selection of place names. Topical maps at 1:3,000,000 are based on data supplied by government departments and research organizations. For the historical geographer, the atlas includes an interesting series of early map reproductions, notably the 1856 maps by Erhardt and Rebmann, which marked the beginning of the European exploration era in East Africa. The review highlights the atlas’s value as a reference tool for both contemporary geographical studies and historical geography research.
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