Belarus白俄罗斯

Н. Ф. Леонтьев; З. И. Мартынова; А. А. Минц

This article reviews the Atlas of the Byelorussian SSR, a comprehensive national atlas published to mark the 40th anniversary of Soviet Belarus. The atlas integrates physical, economic, political, and historical geography, containing over 150 maps covering administrative divisions, physical geography, natural resources, economy, population, culture, and history. The author examines the atlas's structure, content, and cartographic methods, highlighting its strengths: the wealth and detail of natural maps, especially geomorphological and climatic maps; the effective combination of dot and cartogram techniques in agricultural maps; and the valuable series of regional economic maps. The article also notes several shortcomings: the absence of synthetic maps such as agroclimatic and physiographic regionalization; inconsistencies between some maps (e.g., Quaternary deposits and geomorphology, forests and geobotany); and the limited enrichment of regional physical maps relative to the republic-wide map. Overall, the atlas is assessed as an outstanding achievement of Soviet cartography, exemplifying the high level of Belarusian science and setting a precedent for other republics to produce comprehensive regional atlases.

В. Ф. Кремпольский

This article presents a systematic introduction to the Atlas of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (Atlas BSSR), published in 1958 by the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR and the Main Administration of Geodesy and Cartography of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. As the first Soviet national comprehensive atlas of a Union republic, it was designed to serve as a reference work reflecting the republic’s nature, population, economy, culture, history, and politico-administrative structure. The author describes the compilation process: the Minsk Cartographic Factory completed the atlas in one and a half years in close cooperation with Belarusian scientists, while an editorial board provided overall scientific editing. The atlas, issued in Russian and Belarusian, contains about 140 pages of maps at various scales. Its sections cover physical geography, geology and mineral resources, soils and vegetation, industry, agriculture, culture and public health, as well as administrative, physical, and economic maps of each region and historical maps. Statistical tables and diagrams supplement the maps, highlighting the major economic and social transformations in Belarus over the 40 years of Soviet power. The article concludes that the atlas is a major scientific achievement of Soviet cartography and an important reference and educational tool.

A. Levshinov

Published to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, this atlas was produced through the collective efforts of Byelorussian scientists and cartographers. Containing 144 maps at various scales, it systematically summarizes available knowledge on the republic's physical geography (geology, climate, soils, vegetation, etc.) and economic geography (industry, agriculture, and regional economies), supplemented by political, cultural, and historical maps. The atlas provides a comprehensive reference for understanding the nature, economy, and development prospects of the BSSR, while also indicating directions for further research.

3. Г. Рябцева

This review discusses the Atlas of the Byelorussian SSR, published in 1958, which is the first Soviet comprehensive national atlas of a union republic. Its purpose is to serve as a reference work for a wide readership. The review describes the use of up-to-date materials, including industrial, agricultural, cultural and health-care data up to the beginning of the sixth five-year plan, livestock statistics as of October 1, 1955, and political-administrative divisions as of August 1, 1958. It also outlines the cartographic specifications: scales from 1:2,500,000 to 1:8,000,000 for the whole republic and 1:1,000,000 to 1:1,500,000 for regional maps, and the direct equiangular conic projection. The atlas contains 140 pages of maps and 5 pages of introductory text, with sections on political-administrative divisions, physical geography, industry, agriculture, culture and health care, individual regions, and historical maps. The review emphasizes the atlas's significance as a milestone in Soviet cartography.

This bibliographic review introduces the Atlas of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, published in 1958. Compiled to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Byelorussian Republic, the atlas covers natural, historical, economic, and cultural activities. The article outlines its structure, including introductory maps, natural maps, economic maps, cultural and health maps, regional natural and economic maps, and historical maps, citing examples of its detail such as magnetic declination maps and soil type profiles. It also notes shortcomings, including the absence of maps showing economic historical changes and the ambiguous representation of industrial output in circular graphs, yet concludes that the atlas is highly valuable for understanding the situation in Byelorussia.

Ena L. Yonge

This article is a comprehensive review of regional atlases, written by Ena L. Yonge. The author begins by noting that, given the ever-increasing flood of atlases from around the world, individual reviews of each publication are impossible; therefore, a summary survey is adopted. She also stresses that no single reviewer can be sufficiently expert in all aspects of geography, cartography, and linguistics to render sound critical judgments. The roughly one hundred regional atlases discussed are grouped primarily by continent or large region and then arranged alphabetically by country. In the European section, the author evaluates national and thematic atlases from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, and other countries, covering topics such as road transport, historical geography, climate, population, economy, and land use. She comments in detail on cartographic quality, scales, printing techniques, and practical utility. For example, the Austrian national atlas, directed by Hans Bobek and Erik Arnberger under the Commission for Land Planning of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, was published in five annual parts and demonstrates excellent cartography and printing. The Atlas de Belgique and the Atlas du Survey National supplement each other with plates on hydrogeology, phytogeography, agriculture, basic industries, waterways, and railways. The Climatic Atlas of Czechoslovakia is praised for its beautiful large-scale maps of temperature and precipitation. The article then turns to North America, focusing on state atlases in the United States, including Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia. These atlases cover agriculture, forestry, economic resources, historical geography, and population, often compiled by universities or state agencies for educational and planning purposes. In the South American section, the author highlights notable publications such as the Atlas do Brasil, the Atlas de economía colombiana, and Venezuelan climatic and forest atlases. Throughout the review, the author acknowledges the scholarly value and cartographic achievements of many works while also pointing out occasional problems such as overly large formats or inappropriate scales. Overall, the article provides a broad and informative reference guide to regional atlases for scholars in geography, cartography, and related fields.