Book reviews: Atlas of Sri Lanka

Summary

This review evaluates the Atlas of Sri Lanka, a national atlas published by Ajuna Consulting Co Ltd in 1997. Featuring a principal scale of 1:1,650,000, the atlas systematically covers physical geography (relief, geology, climate, soils) and human geography (population, education, health, employment). The reviewer notes that most maps are clearly drawn and informative, but criticizes the single map on ethnic and religious groups for overlaying five religions and five ethnicities onto one pie graph per district, rendering it confusing and undermining its utility for foreigners seeking to understand the roots of ethnic unrest. Drawing on the Dutch cartographer F.J. Ormeling's observation, the review further contends that the atlas omits the activities of the Tamil Tigers, a significant social conflict, thereby compromising the reliability of certain economic and social maps. Overall, the atlas is deemed an impressive reference work, yet its avoidance of contentious social issues constitutes a notable deficiency.