National Atlas of India. First Edition

Summary

This article reviews the first edition of the National Atlas of India, published in Hindi in 1957 by the National Atlas Organization under India's Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, edited by the prominent geographer S. P. Chatterjee. The atlas consists of 26 sheets and 95 maps, with principal maps at 1:5,000,000 and 1:10,000,000, supplemented by small-scale maps and large-scale insets of regions and cities. It covers physical and economic geography, including climate, drainage, mineral resources, agriculture, livestock, electric power, industry, transport, population, science, culture and tourism. The reviewer emphasizes several strengths: river basins are clearly delimited; mineral maps show both reserves and output, revealing insufficiently developed deposits in Central India; agricultural and processing-industry locations are combined effectively; the electric-power map is highly informative, including even small diesel plants; industrial maps are the first to use a uniform indicator—number of workers—for all branches; and the rural population map, based on village-level data, is more accurate than earlier district-based maps. The atlas also offers distinctive maps of education, health, archaeology and tourist attractions. At the same time, the reviewer notes shortcomings: important maps of physiographic and economic regionalization are absent; the livestock maps are not fully successful; and the map combining commercial crops with processing industries omits such major branches as cotton textiles, jute, sugar and food processing. In conclusion, the National Atlas of India represents a major achievement of Indian cartography and a valuable contribution to the study of the country. It is highly relevant for India's efforts to use its natural resources and for foreign scholars; it may also help correct distorted transcriptions of Indian place names on English maps. A revised English edition was being prepared.