Cartographic representation of data in the National Atlas of India

Summary

This study examines cartographic techniques for socio-economic maps at 1:6,000,000 scale in the National Atlas of India. Traditional dot symbols remain effective for agricultural distributions, while proportional squares replace circles for urban population mapping. For concentrated industrial areas, combinations of proportional sectors, squares, and circles represent multi-unit data clearly. Pictorial symbols arranged linearly improve readability over conventional geometric marks. The findings offer practical guidance for thematic map design.