Forum: Reviews and Comments: National Atlas of Georgia

Summary

This article reviews two geographical publications. The first review assesses the National Atlas of Georgia (2018 English edition), a collaborative effort between Georgian and German scholars that comprehensively revises the 2012 Georgian-language edition with new maps and thematic additions. The atlas systematically presents Georgia's physical geography (geology, geomorphology, climate, hydrology, soils, vegetation) and human geography (population, religion, agriculture, tourism, historical development), while carefully addressing the politically sensitive status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The review notes limitations in socio-economic map coverage and data timeliness but praises the atlas as an impressive cartographic achievement. The second review examines the Routledge Handbook of Asian Borderlands (2018), which contains 35 contributions across seven sections, exploring paradigm shifts in borderland studies through themes such as violence, gender, mobility, and livelihoods. The handbook moves beyond traditional legal and political frameworks to conceptualize borders as dynamic social spaces, reflecting contemporary academic trends. The review considers it a valuable contribution to border studies.