Review: An atlas of Libya: National Atlas of the socialiste people's Libyan Arab Jomahiriya

Summary

This paper presents and assesses a comprehensive atlas of Libya that contextualizes the country within the Muslim, Arab, and African spheres and traces its historical geography. The atlas employs a multi-scalar cartographic approach: thematic maps of geology, pedology, vegetation, and population are typically rendered at scales between 1:5,000,000 and 1:18,000,000, the latter used for climatic data. More detailed large-scale maps are devoted to soil suitability, agricultural development projects, urban planning, and particularly evocative maps of hydrocarbon concession zones. Historical coverage is richer for the medieval period than for the colonial era. The review finds the atlas to be a clear, convenient, and authoritative reference, offering the most rigorous available introduction to modern Libya. An entirely Arabic edition further enhances its accessibility and scholarly value. Minor cartographic omissions—notably a lacunose map of airfields in the south—are noted but are deemed neither unusual nor uniquely Libyan. These gaps do not detract from the atlas’s overall excellence as a foundational resource for researchers, planners, and students seeking a serious understanding of Libya’s physical and human landscapes.