Reviews: Atlas of Sierra Leone

Summary

This review evaluates the Atlas of Sierra Leone, published in 1953 by the Survey and Lands Department, Freetown. The atlas brings together authoritative maps of the Colony and Protectorate for the first time, supplemented by general information. Physical, soil, political, population density, geological, and mineral maps are well executed, while the agricultural products map fails due to attempting to show ten commodities without a table. Township maps, except Bonthe, appear crude, and vegetation and tribal division maps are overly simplified. Climatic graphs suffer from outdated rainfall data. The reviewer questions the atlas's purpose: if for schools, introductory maps are inadequate and some content unsuitable; if as an authoritative compilation, certain maps are insufficient. Despite errors such as mislabeling the upper Niger as a motorable road, the atlas remains indispensable for serious study of Sierra Leone's geography, with hope for a revised future edition.