Myanmar
National Atlases
The national atlas tradition in Myanmar is a relatively recent development, shaped by the country’s complex modern history. Following decades of isolation and internal conflict, efforts to systematically document the nation’s socio-economic landscape emerged only in the 2010s, as part of a broader push toward evidence-based planning and international engagement. The single atlas in this collection, the *Socio-Economic Atlas of Myanmar* (2017), published by Franz Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden GmbH, stands as a pioneering attempt to synthesize diverse data—demographic, economic, and social—into a cohesive cartographic narrative. Its editorial approach emphasizes accessibility, using thematic maps and clear visualizations to bridge gaps in official statistics and local knowledge. While this atlas does not yet represent a continuous or institutionalized national mapping program, it marks a critical first step, offering a baseline for future editions and inspiring academic and policy interest in spatial data. Its influence is seen in subsequent discussions on data transparency and regional planning, though its full legacy remains to be measured as Myanmar’s atlas tradition evolves.
Versions and Their Documents
This is the first volume of the national atlas tradition in our collection.
Contemporary and Later Comment
- Journal Article2018Book Review: Socio-Economic Atlas of Myanmar
Richard Roewer
This review examines the Socio-Economic Atlas of Myanmar, the first publication of its kind, which integrates extensive country data into accessible visualizations across six themes: administration, environment, population, infrastructure, economic development, and social development. While it fills critical data gaps, particularly in areas absent from the 2014 Census Atlas, the review identifies significant shortcomings. The authors fail to critically reflect on their perspective, omitting ethnicity and belonging despite available census data, and use problematic phrasing such as the "so-called Rohingya issue" without justification. Additionally, the atlas lacks transparency on data sources and methodology, and does not address controversies surrounding the 2014 Census, including allegations of incomplete questioning, lack of post-enumeration surveys, and politicized ethnic identity handling. These omissions undermine the atlas's reliability for policymakers and researchers, though it still holds potential to stimulate new debates and research on Myanmar.
From the Physical Collection
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