National Atlas of India. First Edition

Summary

The article reviews the National Atlas of India, published in Hindi in 1957 by the National Atlas Organization under the leadership of Professor S. P. Chatterjee. The atlas contains 95 maps on 26 sheets, with principal scales of 1:5,000,000 and 1:10,000,000, covering physical geography (climate, river networks, mineral resources), agricultural production, industry, transportation, population, education, culture, health and tourism. The analysis highlights several cartographic innovations: mineral maps display both reserves and extraction volumes; crop distribution employs dot and area methods with processing industries located on the same maps; livestock maps present ratios of animals to population and to arable land; an energy map includes even small diesel plants and those under construction; industrial maps use a unified workforce indicator for all branches; the rural population map is based on village-level data, offering unprecedented accuracy; and a map of architectural styles shows the spatial distribution of the country’s cultural heritage. The author praises the atlas for its clarity, rich information, and the use of the national language Hindi, while noting the absence of maps on economic-geographical regionalization and some minor omissions in the industrial and livestock sections. A revised and expanded English edition is in preparation. Overall, the atlas is recognized as a major achievement of Indian cartography and an invaluable resource for scholars studying India’s geography and economy.