An Outstanding National Atlas

Summary

This article reviews the publication and significance of the National Atlas of India (Preliminary Hindi Edition, 1957). Edited by Professor S. P. Chatterjee as part of India's Second Five-Year Plan, the atlas was completed within twelve months, comprising 26 sheets at a scale of 1:5,000,000. It covers administrative divisions, physical geography, climate, geology, agriculture, transportation, education, and tourism, adopting the metric system throughout. The atlas ingeniously integrates Hindi and English to balance national language policy with international usability. The author praises it as an exemplary work of cartographic technique and a vital tool for national planning, while noting that it serves as a precursor to a more detailed large-scale atlas.