Geographical Reviews: Atlas of the Netherlands Indies

Summary

This review examines the Atlas of Tropical Netherlands, published in 1938 by the Royal Netherlands Geographical Society in collaboration with the Topographical Service of the Netherlands Indies. The atlas project, initiated in 1909 but not commenced until 1928, comprises 31 double plates containing 136 maps covering topography, geology, climate, flora, fauna, population, economy, and history of the Malay Archipelago. The reviewer praises the large map scales and comprehensive coverage, while noting inconsistencies in hypsometric coloring, the obscuring effect of shading on elevation representation, and the absence of a map showing European plantations in Java. Overall, the atlas serves as an invaluable reference for the colonial geography of the Netherlands Indies.