Neue Nationalatlanten : Japan und DDR

Summary

This article reviews and compares two newly published national atlases: the National Atlas of Japan (English edition, 1977) and the Atlas of the German Democratic Republic (first delivery, 1976). Written from the perspective of a geographer and map author, the review focuses on overall concepts and the design of individual map sheets. Both atlases follow a conventional structure, moving from physical geography to population and economic activities, but differ in emphasis: the DDR atlas devotes more space to production in the socialist sense, while the Japanese atlas highlights services, social conditions, and cultural institutions. The atlases also differ in their use of reverse sides: the DDR atlas provides multilingual legends and additional information, whereas the Japanese atlas offers extensive textual and graphic explanations that amount to a small geographical encyclopedia. Stylistically, the Japanese atlas is more traditional, employing predominantly choropleth maps and familiar symbols, with refined drawing and restrained colors; the DDR atlas presents more novel graphic solutions, such as a road-network map combining point, line, and area elements, and a half-page map of potash and rock-salt industry. The author notes that both atlases are highly stimulating despite some debatable choices. A separate brief review discusses Fehling’s study of Australia’s iron ore economy, praised as a model of economic-geographic description, though lacking a Japanese perspective. Overall, the article offers valuable insights for national atlas comparison and cartographic design.