Books in Review: National Atlas of India

Summary

This review discusses the publication and content of the first National Atlas of India (Preliminary Hindi Edition, 1957). Edited by Professor S. P. Chatterjee of Calcutta University and produced by the Survey of India, the atlas comprises 26 sheets covering India's physical background and socio-economic structure. With principal scales of 1:5,000,000 and 1:10,000,000, supplemented by world maps and numerous insets, it employs multi-color printing and symbolic systems to depict topography, climate, soils, vegetation, agriculture, industry, transportation, and population. The administrative map notably presents, for the first time since the 1881 census, the minor civil divisions as reorganized on November 1, 1956. The review also notes the atlas's price, availability, and its significance as a milestone in Indian cartography, recommending it to scholars and institutions.