The national atlas of Brazil

Summary

This article reviews the Atlas Nacional do Brasil, first published in 1966 by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE), a distinctive Brazilian government agency. The atlas, presented in loose-leaf format for periodic updates, comprises some sixty maps covering political, physical, demographic, socio-cultural, and economic themes. The review assesses the atlas's high cartographic standards, its reliance on data from the 1960 census, and its comprehensive portrayal of Brazil in the mid-1960s. It highlights striking regional disparities, particularly between the Southeast and Northeast, in economic activity, social provision, and income distribution. While acknowledging the atlas's value as a detailed geographical reference, the review notes limitations such as dated information, unclear classification bases in some maps, and over-reduced inset maps. The atlas effectively captures Brazil's geographical patterns and serves as a foundation for understanding its developmental trajectory.