Cartographical progress: Atlas of Uganda

Summary

The review examines the 1962 Atlas of Uganda, issued by the Department of Lands and Surveys to mark independence. Compiled and printed in Uganda under Bruce Whittaker’s direction, with cooperation from government departments and Makerere University College geographers, it contains 38 sheets, mostly at 1:1,500,000, accompanied by notes, photographs and a gazetteer. The reviewer praises its coverage of physical and human geography, including agriculture, industry, power, health and education. Local statistics and administrative units support instructive choropleth maps of population density and cultivated acreage; divided circles depict ethnic and tribal composition in 105 counties, while isopleths show food crops as percentages of total crop acreage. Historical maps locate archaeological and historical sites, trace political boundaries, and depict travellers’ routes from 1860–1913; the development of Uganda’s kingdoms is omitted because of the state of knowledge. The reviewer notes inconsistent temperature units and a few misplaced route arrows, while judging the routes themselves correct. Despite these criticisms, the reviewer considers it almost certainly the best national atlas among the three major East African countries, praising its topic selection, usefulness and reasonable price.