Atlas of Georgia

Summary

This article reviews the 1964 Atlas of the Georgian SSR, the final volume in a series of comprehensive scientific-reference atlases of Transcaucasia. The atlas systematically summarizes the latest achievements in the study of Georgia's natural conditions, resources, and socio-economic development, comprising six sections and over 225 maps, and for the first time includes independent sections on natural productive resources, as well as new thematic maps such as paleogeography, seismicity, karst, and television coverage. The review highlights methodological innovations, including the use of volumetric symbols for urban population and legend designs based on natural factors like vertical zonality, climate, and relief. It also notes the atlas's coordination with the atlases of Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, the author criticizes certain shortcomings: some map contents do not match their titles, taxonomic units in legends are inconsistent, quantitative indicators are often lacking, and color choices are occasionally poor. Despite these flaws, the atlas is deemed a significant achievement of Soviet cartography.