Bibliographica: Atlas général du Congo: Carte électorale du Congo 1961

Summary

This review criticizes the electoral map of the Congo (1961) by J.H. Pirenne, which represents the May 1960 elections. The main flaw is its selective treatment of political parties: only parties with the largest number of seats are highlighted, while the multiplicity of local parties is largely ignored. The author questions why some local/ethnic parties are assigned distinct colors while others are not, particularly when both are equally regional in nature. This inconsistency undermines the map's stated goal of showing territorial fragmentation and localized leadership influence, as well as the need to adapt structures to regional divergences. Overall, the review argues that the map's methodology fails to adequately convey the extreme political fragmentation of the Congo.