General atlas of the Belgian Congo

This article presents the General Atlas of the Belgian Congo, prepared by a commission of the Royal Belgian Colonial Institute. Conceived as a comprehensive reference work, the atlas will contain sixty to seventy plates covering history, geodesy, the physical environment, biogeography, anthropology and culture, administrative and social policy, and economics, with explanatory notes in French and Flemish. A general map and alphabetical place-name index support consultation, while most thematic maps use a scale of 1:1,000,000. Three maps have been completed: vegetation regions, early exploration routes, and national parks and nature reserves. With eight to ten plates planned annually, the atlas aims to synthesize knowledge of the Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi. Future revised editions will incorporate new research; accordingly, the first edition is limited to 1,000 copies.