Algeria

Forrest Shreve

This review examines two publications on the vegetation of Algeria and Tunisia, both accompanied by the same colored phytogeographic map. The region's vegetation is divided into three natural subdivisions: the lightly forested coastal region, the steppes, and the desert region adjacent to the Sahara. The coastal area, with annual rainfall of 400-1600 mm, supports forests of evergreen and deciduous oaks, olives, and pines; the steppes, with 200-350 mm rainfall, are characterized by grasses (e.g., Stipa tenacissima) and shrubs (notably Artemisia species); the Saharan vegetation is described as "rarefied steppe." The review outlines the distribution patterns of major vegetation types and their relationship to climatic conditions, providing a foundational reference for understanding the ecological transition from Mediterranean to Saharan environments in North Africa.

R. de Flotte de Roquevaire

This article presents the compilation of the "Atlas of Algeria and Tunisia," published by the Government General of Algeria with financial support from the Tunisian government. The atlas aims to systematically organize natural and human geographic data of North Africa, providing a scientific basis for agricultural development and administrative management. It comprises seven sections: geology, hypsometry, climatology, vegetation, demography, economic geography, and administrative geography, all using a uniform scale to ensure comparability across maps. The article details the content, compilation methods, and data sources of each fascicle, and highlights the atlas as a significant scientific and industrial achievement led locally by Algerians, with both academic and practical value.

Ena L. Yonge

This article provides a comprehensive review of national atlases published worldwide up to the time of writing. It notes that since the Geographical Review first coined the term 'Age of National Atlases' in 1940, the surge of nationalism after World War II has greatly accelerated the production and scope of such atlases. The author surveys 26 published national atlases and 3 in preparation. The article first emphasizes that a national atlas aims to portray all aspects of a country—physical, economic, and social—and highlights a welcome trend: the inclusion of map titles, legends, and text summaries in English or French for atlases published in less familiar languages. The review is then organized by region. For Europe, it details atlases from Austria (Atlas von Niederösterreich), Belgium (Atlas de Belgique), France (revised Atlas de France), and Germany (Deutscher Planungsatlas, specifically Atlas von Berlin), among others, discussing their institutional backing, content structure, scales, cartographic techniques, and unique features, such as Berlin's depiction of wartime damage and postwar development, and Belgium's detailed demographic and agricultural maps. Atlases from Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, Italy, and Norway are also mentioned. For Africa, the planned Atlas du Maroc is described. For Oceania, the Atlas of Australian Resources is reviewed, highlighting its origin in post-war resource assessment, its effective use of a large scale, and its focus on water resources and population distribution. For North America, the article reports on the progress of a Canadian national atlas and the initiation of the National Atlas of the United States, a collaborative federal effort to compile standardized thematic maps from various government agencies. The article concludes that these national atlases represent significant achievements in geographic and cartographic scholarship, serving as invaluable resources for students, planners, and businesses.

Abed Bendjelid