Book reviews: Atlas of the Netherlands

Summary

This review assesses the third supplement (1981) to the Atlas of the Netherlands, intended to update existing material and introduce previously omitted subjects. Its five sheets document topographic changes since 1963, including urban and industrial expansion, transport infrastructure, water engineering, land reclamation, and consolidation. Additional maps present administrative reforms and proposed provincial divisions, gender-disaggregated patterns in vocational education, municipal and regional distributions of income and wealth, and indicators of long- and short-term recreation. The reviewer notes that the income and wealth cartograms require supplementary absolute figures, which are provided separately. Consistent in style and execution with earlier installments, the supplement completes the first edition. The forthcoming second edition is expected to move beyond descriptive inventory toward a more problem-oriented approach emphasizing spatial dynamics.