Atlas of the Union of South Africa / Atlas vam die Unie van Suid-afrika
South Africa · The Government Printer · 1960
Related Reviews & Articles
Reviews: Atlas of the Union of South Africa
Jackson, S. P. · 1960
This paper reviews the Atlas of the Union of South Africa, a landmark cartographic compilation initiated in 1947 by the University of Cape Town's Department of Geography at the request of the Social and Economic Planning Council. The atlas was designed to fill a critical gap in the systematic survey of South Africa's natural resources and the economic activities dependent on them. Unlike a conventional topographic atlas, it comprises over 700 monochrome maps and diagrams derived from official statistical records published between 1910 and 1950, organized into seven thematic sections. The first two sections cover the physical environment—geology, mineral resources, soils, climate, and vegetation—featuring exceptionally clear colored maps at 1:4 million scale and a model black-and-white mineral resources map. The remaining sections address population, agriculture, industry, transport, and external trade, employing dot and symbol distributions on outline base maps with innovative detachable transparent overlays for reference features. Cartographically, the atlas is praised for its high-quality pastel-colored maps and legible designs, although production constraints—limited budgets, drafting capabilities, and the rigidity of cartographic methods—occasionally led to minor presentation issues. Despite these challenges, the atlas succeeds in providing a comprehensive and lucid portrayal of South Africa's resource base, their exploitation, and the nation's economic development. It is intended for a broad audience, not solely geographers, and serves as a notable repository of fundamental data on the country's resources, offering instructive insights for anyone interested in South Africa.
Cartographical Progress: Atlas of the Union of South Africa
Fair, T. J. D. · 1963
This review article examines three recent cartographic publications that together reflect mid-20th-century developments in mapping theory, practice, and institutionalisation. The first section evaluates *Cartographical Progress*, the proceedings of the 1962 Edinburgh Cartographic Symposium. Filling a gap in British cartographic literature, the volume presents papers on land-use classification, the plastic revolution in map reproduction, colour use, automation pressures in photogrammetry, and a mathematical analysis of Hammer–Aitoff projections. Discussions and resolutions advocate the formation of a national cartographic society. The second section reviews the *Atlas of the Union of South Africa* by A. M. and W. J. Talbot, a comprehensive mid-century resource and socio-economic atlas compiled from government and private sources. Though its 598 maps are largely monochrome and some symbolisation limits clarity, the atlas excels in tracing temporal and spatial trends through meticulous data reassembly, demonstrating the analytical power of thematic atlases. The third section summarises André Libault’s *La Cartographie*, a concise introductory volume emphasising the geodetic foundations of mapping and the critical simplification required when reducing from large-scale surveys. Collectively, the three works highlight cartography’s expanding scope from technical reproduction and colour perception to automation, national atlas design, and the philosophical basis of the map as a geodetically controlled schematic document.
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