The atlas of Martinique

Summary

This review examines *L’Atlas de la Martinique*, the second volume in the series of atlases of French overseas departments, published in 1976. The atlas was produced by the CNRS Centre d’Études de Géographie Tropicale in collaboration with the geography departments of the Universities of Aix‑Marseille II and Bordeaux III, the University Centre of the Antilles‑Guyane, and BRGM. Its creation involved about thirty specialists and benefited from extensive documentation provided by numerous local organisations, as well as intensive fieldwork. The work comprises thirty‑seven loose‑leaf colour map plates (48 × 58 cm), each accompanied by explanatory texts, statistical tables, cross‑sections, graphs, and supplementary black‑and‑white maps, forming a graphic and geographic documentation of exceptional quality. The review highlights the careful visual presentation of successive themes, which remains classic yet engaging. Noteworthy cartographic innovations include mesh‑based population density mapping, representations of settlement landscapes, land tenure structures, agricultural machinery, and detailed series on dominant crops—sugarcane and banana. Colour is generously and effectively employed, lending a certain sumptuousness without compromising the richness of the information. Certain themes are appropriately handled with monochrome maps supported by excellent shaded relief. All major problems of the island are addressed through a wide variety of cartographic means. The cartographic realisation, carried out by the Institut Géographique National as for all atlases in the series, perfects the overall quality. The review concludes that the Atlas of Martinique constitutes a first‑rate geographical synthesis, notable for both its scientific depth and its cartographic elegance.