Einzelrezensionen: Nationalatlas Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Band 4: Bevölkerung

Summary

This review assesses volume 4 “Bevölkerung” of the Nationalatlas Bundesrepublik Deutschland, published by the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography. The volume presents demographic data through 46 chapters combining maps, diagrams, and explanatory texts, covering population distribution, structure, socioeconomic features, natural change, and migration. Despite the seeming anachronism of a national atlas in an era of European integration, the project is justified by national scientific organization and post-reunification statehood. The atlas is praised for its comprehensive content and high-quality cartography, but criticized for inconsistent glossary criteria, some misleading maps, and limited accessibility for non-geographers, including risks of ecological fallacy. Overall, it is a successful reference work, though its price restricts wider distribution.