Geographical Reviews: New National Atlas of Mexico

Summary

This review presents and evaluates the *Nuevo atlas nacional de México*, a monumental cartographic work produced by a team of 153 authors and collaborators led by Atlántida Coll-Hurtado and José María Casado Izquierdo. The purpose of the atlas is to provide a comprehensive, high-quality geographic portrait of Mexico through 726 maps and 353 graphics, drawing on data from over thirty national and international institutions, particularly the censuses of 2000 and the rich databases of the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática. The work is organized into five principal sections—general, history, society, economy, and nature and environment—each introduced by texts explaining data sources, key patterns, and relevant bibliographies. The history section offers a detailed sequence of pre-Hispanic, colonial, and nineteenth-century maps, tracing exploration routes, epidemics, trade, and agrarian reform. The society section maps demographic dynamics, migration (including Mexico–U.S. flows and remittances), health, education, and regional development disparities. Economic maps cover agriculture, energy, industry, transportation, and commerce, revealing patterns such as the division between subsistence and technified farming zones, the spatial distribution of specific crops and industries, and the geography of foreign investment. The environmental section integrates climatic, geological, and biophysical data, including hazards and protected areas. The atlas demonstrates how careful combination of variables can interrelate processes and patterns, exemplified by maps of development levels and ecological protection. The review concludes that the atlas exhibits exceptional cartographic artistry, precision in color registration, and discreet documentation of authorship and scale. It stands as a landmark contribution to Mexican scholarship, and the author expresses the hope that an online version will make its riches accessible to a wider audience.