Criticism and Bibliography. Atlas of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Summary

This review examines two recent Soviet geographical works, focusing on the Atlas of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Published in 1961 in Yerevan and Moscow by the Armenian Academy of Sciences and the Main Administration of Geodesy and Cartography, the atlas appeared in Russian and Armenian bilingual editions, comprising 119 pages with six sections: introductory, natural conditions, population and culture, economy, and history. The reviewer considers the atlas an ambitious comprehensive work: the physical-geographical section is particularly detailed and original, especially climatic, geomorphological, and hydrological maps; the economic and agricultural maps are also substantial, while historical maps highlight Armenia's ancient civilization. However, the population and culture section is comparatively weak, some maps are overloaded relative to their scale, and various legends and cartographic designs contain flaws. Overall, the atlas is judged a valuable national reference work. The review also briefly comments on the second edition of I. S. Shchukin's General Geomorphology, volume 1, noting its continuity with the geographical approach and its use of morphological complexes to organize geomorphological knowledge in light of recent scientific progress.