Zimbabwe津巴布韦

Curatorial Note

This gallery presents a single atlas from the territory now known as Zimbabwe, but at the time of its publication in 1965, it was called Rhodesia. The atlas, titled *Rhodesia: Its Natural Resources and Economic Development*, was compiled by M.O. Collins and published by a private limited company. It stands as a rare artifact of a brief historical moment—the year before the Unilateral Declaration of Independence—when the colonial government sought to showcase the region's economic potential and natural wealth. The atlas follows a thematic structure typical of mid-century national atlases: it systematically maps geology, agriculture, water resources, and infrastructure, with an emphasis on development potential. Its production by a private publisher, rather than a state cartographic agency, reflects the absence of an established national mapping tradition at that time. Although no contemporary or later reviews are recorded in our collection, the atlas remains significant as one of the earliest comprehensive cartographic portrayals of the country's resources. It provides a baseline for understanding how the land was perceived and managed during a pivotal period, and it offers modern readers a valuable historical record of both the physical landscape and the political ambitions of that era.