Book Reviews: Atlas of Pakistan

The reviewer welcomes the Survey of Pakistan's Atlas of Pakistan as an affordable national atlas containing more than 100 multicolored maps. Its compilation began with a National Atlas Board in 1959, was abandoned after the 1965 war with India, and resumed in 1981 using earlier materials and updated information. The review highlights detailed regional and city maps, 43 thematic maps, and a useful gazetteer, while judging printing and cartographic quality acceptable but unexceptional. Political boundaries follow the Pakistani government's claims, and coverage of Jammu and Kashmir is limited. Criticisms include an overly optimistic wildlife map, an overcrowded industrial map, undated agricultural tables, and inadequate language statistics and source documentation. The reviewer warns that inconsistent census categories distort the apparent growth of the Hindu population and questions the identification of Buddhist communities. With only one historical map, the atlas needs fuller coverage of historical development and administrative boundary changes; the reviewer recommends replacing some world maps with this material. Despite these shortcomings, the review values the collection of important Survey of Pakistan maps in one volume and welcomes the promised improved edition.