Anmeldelser: Atlas of Finland

Summary

This is an academic review of the fourth edition of the Atlas of Finland, published in 1960. Edited by the Geographical Society of Finland, this atlas is recognized as the oldest national atlas in the world, with its first edition dating back to 1899. The review notes that work on the fourth edition began in 1953 under the late Professor Gabriel Granö, with Väinö Auer later assuming the chairmanship of the atlas commission and Leo Aario serving as editor, supported by a wide range of specialists. The review highlights the atlas's high scientific and technical standards, incorporating results from much first-hand research. Given the profound structural changes in Finland since the third edition (1925), extensive special studies were necessary, leading to the inclusion of numerous new maps that harmoniously complement earlier editions. Unlike the third edition's comprehensive text volume, the fourth edition limits its explanatory notes to brief descriptions of each map group, providing essential information for users, while directing those seeking more detail to the second edition of the Handbook of Finland's Geography (1951). The review concludes that this work continues Finland's great geographical traditions and reaffirms its leading role in the production of national atlases.