Anmeldelser: Atlas of Britain and Northern Ireland

Summary

This review assesses the Atlas of Britain and Northern Ireland, planned by D. P. Bickmore and M. A. Shaw and published by the Clarendon Press, Oxford, in 1963. Using mainly 1:2,000,000 and some 1:1,000,000 scales, the atlas presents about two hundred themes covering physical conditions, climate, industry, population, transport, trade and communications. The reviewer stresses its innovative cartography: station-based climatic data with deviation diagrams, quantitative industrial and demographic maps, and bold visualizations of domestic and international flows of goods and passengers. Although the work is dense and expensive, and at times pushes established limits of legibility, its exceptionally detailed and accurate presentation offers an unrivalled source for studying Britain’s population and economic structure. The review concludes that the atlas will be valuable not only for education and information, but also for public and private administration.