Reviews and notices: Atlas of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

Summary

This review evaluates the 1966 Atlas of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, produced in accordance with recommendations of the IGU Commission on National Atlases. Its 58 plates contain 443 maps, cartograms, and diagrams covering administrative development, physical geography, population, industry, agriculture, transport, trade, and living standards. Particular attention is given to innovative representations of genetic relief types, biogeocenoses, ethnic composition, agricultural production zones, road density, and transport accessibility. The reviewer nevertheless questions several population-mapping techniques and finds the final section on living standards insufficiently integrated because it accumulates heterogeneous indicators. Despite these reservations, the atlas is judged equal to its distinguished prewar predecessor and an outstanding achievement whose thematic depth, scientific rigor, and cartographic execution provide an exemplary model for national atlas production.