Book Review Section: National Atlas of Hungary Vol. 3: Society

Summary

This review assesses Volume 3 (Society) of the English edition of the new National Atlas of Hungary, published by the Geographical Institute in Budapest in 2021. The reviewer places the atlas in the context of declining map use and emphasizes its role as a demonstration of the communicative efficiency of maps. The volume has twelve chapters, each dedicated to a major theme: Hungary at a glance, history of population, population number and density, natural population change, migration, population structures (including age, ethnicity, religion, education, and economic activity), settlement history, settlement system, urban settlements, Budapest and its region, rural areas, and living conditions. A major strength is the coverage of the entire Carpathian Basin, which permits cross-border comparisons and highlights the historical continuity of Hungarian settlement and minority populations. The maps combine thematic areal colors with relief shading, facilitating spatial interpretation. Particularly innovative are presentations of Roma population distribution comparing self-identification with external estimates, and time-series maps revealing historical stability of suicide rates and religious patterns. The reviewer also notes some methodological difficulties, such as varying administrative aggregation levels across countries and occasional naming inconsistencies in landscape classification. Despite these caveats, the volume is praised as an ideal combination of maps, tables, diagrams, concise texts, and photographs, and as a highlight of modern atlas cartography that sets high expectations for the remaining volumes on the state and economy.