Second edition of the National Atlas of France: a new stage in the development of French geography and cartography

Summary

This paper reviews the second edition of the National Atlas of France, published in separate sheets from 1951 to 1958 under the direction of André Libault. It assesses the atlas as a major achievement in French geography and cartography. The atlas contains over 400 maps, cartograms, plans, and graphs on 80 sheets at scales mostly from 1:1,000,000 to 1:2,500,000. The content is organized into sections on physical geography (geology, geomorphology, climate, hydrology, biogeography), economic geography (agriculture, industry, transport, trade), human geography (population, settlement), and administrative divisions. The review highlights strong points: the detailed geomorphological and vegetation maps, the energy map, the industrial construction map, and especially the population distribution map, which replaces choropleth with proportional symbols and dot methods, thereby conveying real spatial patterns. It also identifies shortcomings: lack of synthetic complex maps and regionalization schemes, uneven detail and cartographic quality, overuse of statistical mapping techniques, absence of social and cultural characteristics, insufficient regional maps for major industrial areas, illogical ordering of sections, and underuse of title and reverse pages for supplementary information. Overall, the second edition is regarded as a substantial contribution to national atlas development, offering valuable experience for both cartographers and all those with a deep interest in France.