Book reviews: Atlas of the Republic of Austria

This review examines the fifth installment of the Atlas of the Republic of Austria, published in 1966 and comprising nineteen maps from nearly all sections of the national atlas. It briefly evaluates their subject matter, cartographic methods, and readability. The maps cover terrain and administrative boundaries, karst and caves, climate and snow conditions, animal habitats, settlement patterns, urban morphology, population dynamics, agriculture, health services, and functional types of employment and central places. Particularly noteworthy are the use of permanent settlement areas as a spatial basis for demographic analysis, the detailed functional maps of major cities, and the effective visualization of hospital catchment areas and economic functions. Some shortcomings are identified, including paper distortion, omitted meteorological stations, and the questionable relevance of highly specialized zoological maps. Overall, the atlas is strongly recommended as an exemplary work of geographically oriented thematic cartography.