Reviews: Atlas of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

Summary

This review evaluates the 1966 Atlas of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, the country’s second national atlas after the 1935 edition. Prepared through cooperation among approximately 300 specialists and more than 60 institutions, the atlas comprises 58 double-page map plates organized into seven sections: introduction, natural environment, population, industry, agriculture, transport and communications, and living standards. The review examines its thematic structure, cartographic methods, data selection, explanatory texts, and graphic production. Particular strengths include the exceptionally detailed treatment of geophysics, tectonics, soils, climate, biogeography, food industries, crop production, health care, and cultural heritage. Flexible combinations of scales, supplementary diagrams and statistical tables, and English and Russian summaries enhance its informational and practical value. The extensive commentaries accompanying each plate are especially praised as a rich, well-documented source of knowledge about Czechoslovakia. Nevertheless, the atlas lacks a synthetic representation of natural conditions, such as landscape mapping or physical-geographical regionalization, and gives insufficient attention to urbanization. Comparability is also weakened by inconsistent reference years across demographic, industrial, and agricultural maps, while the sequence of plates is occasionally illogical. Some population mapping techniques are judged less successful, and several thematic sections remain conventional in design. Despite these limitations, the atlas is distinguished by precise drafting, effective color selection, high-quality printing, and advanced glass-engraving techniques. It is therefore assessed as both a major national reference work and an outstanding demonstration of Czechoslovak cartographic craftsmanship.