Book reviews: Atlas of the Republic of Austria

Summary

This review assesses the second and third installments of the Atlas of the Republic of Austria, focusing on their thematic scope, cartographic methods, and scholarly value. The second installment emphasizes economy and transport, whereas the third concentrates on settlement and population. Both are praised for meticulous design and sophisticated presentation. Particularly notable are the original questionnaire-based maps of livestock markets and central places, including their functional types and interconnected service areas. The use of “permanent settlement space” as the reference area for population density and change appropriately reflects Austria’s Alpine geography. The reviewer nevertheless identifies several weaknesses: mineral-resource symbols obscure major deposits, runoff color scales are uneven, climate maps omit observation stations, and the administrative overlay lacks dimensional stability. Despite these limitations, the new installments confirm the atlas’s outstanding overall quality and its importance for regional scholarship and thematic cartography.