General Atlas of the Congo = General Atlas of the Congo
Atlas général du Congo = Algemene atlas van Congo
Congo-Kinshasa · Unknown · 1948
Related Reviews & Articles
National atlases: a summary
Yonge, Ena L. · 1957
This paper presents a comprehensive survey of national atlases produced worldwide up to the late 1950s. The author reviews the development, scope, and cartographic quality of more than two dozen national atlases, with an emphasis on those published after World War II. The study examines atlases across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas, analyzing their thematic coverage, scales, symbolic innovations, and accompanying explanatory texts. Key findings highlight the leading role of European countries—particularly Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and Sweden—in producing atlases that integrate physical, economic, and social geography with advanced graphic techniques. Outside Europe, emerging national atlas projects in Israel, Morocco, the Congo, Australia, and the United States are documented, though many regions remain underrepresented. The paper underscores the value of national atlases as tools for planning, education, and research, and notes the growing trend of bilingual map legends and summaries to serve international audiences. The survey reveals increasing ambition and scope in national atlas production, mirroring both rising nationalism and the demand for systematic spatial knowledge of individual countries.
Reviews: The Population of the Congo - Atlas Général du Congo: Cartes de la densité et de la localisation de la population dans la province de l'Équateur
Hilton, T. E. · 1962
This review examines a detailed fascicle of the Atlas Général of the former Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi, elaborating on a 1951 general population density map by Professor Gourou. The section provides an in‑depth treatment of both density and distribution of population for a major administrative province. Three maps at 1:1,000,000 scale form the core contribution. A key map delineates administrative hierarchies down to the smallest unit (groupement). The second map employs a conventional choropleth technique with sixteen carefully chosen density categories, ranging from fewer than 0.3 to over 50 persons per square kilometre; a non‑linear progression highlights contrasts at low densities. Colours from white through blues, greens, yellow and reds to purple give an effective visual impression, with a dasymetric concession for uninhabited zones. Urban centres are shown as vertical prisms scaled to the square root of population. The third map, illustrating distribution, distinguishes ordinary rural settlement (black) from other rural dwellers (red) and uses dot and circle symbols; it reveals a striking concentration along communication routes and a frequent avoidance of larger river corridors. Although the distribution map is praised for clarity and utility, a slight shortcoming is noted: the symbols are not exactly proportional to magnitude. Accompanying statistical tables, bilingual in French and Flemish, supply detailed demographic data down to the smallest census units, including inhabited and uninhabited areas and water surfaces. The work is judged a valuable tool for serious geographical analysis of the region, though ongoing political turmoil in the Congo will necessitate subsequent revisions.
Some Recent Regional Atlases: A Review
Ristow, Walter W.; Nielsen, Niels; Schou, Axel; Calvert, W. E.; Hassinger, Hugo · 1951
This article reviews sixteen significant general regional and topical regional atlases published between approximately 1940 and 1950, representing eleven countries and diverse subjects such as viticulture, textiles, peat bogs, hydroelectric power, regional planning, physical geography, and resource distribution. Drawing on Wright and Platt's classification, the review distinguishes these specialized works from general world atlases, emphasizing their role as essential tools for serious research. The atlases are examined individually with attention to sponsorship, cartographic design, scale, textual content, and thematic coverage. Notable examples include the French Atlas de la France vinicole and Atlas hydroélectrique de France, the highly regarded Atlas of Denmark with its innovative block diagrams and bilingual presentation, the loose-leaf Atlas général du Congo, and resource-oriented works such as Bengal in Maps and the Tasmanian regional planning atlas. The review finds that these atlases not only document resource inventories and planning priorities but also reflect national and colonial interests of the post-war era. Many were produced through cooperative efforts among government agencies, academic institutions, and private sponsors. Cartographic quality varies, with several attaining high standards. The collection as a whole illustrates the vitality of regional atlas production and offers valuable comparative insights into mid-twentieth-century geographic knowledge and mapping techniques.
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