Recenzje: Atlante Fisico-Economico d'Italia

Summary

This article is a detailed review of the "Atlante Fisico-Economico d'Italia" (Physical-Economic Atlas of Italy), published by the Italian Tourist Association in 1940. The atlas, a collaborative work by numerous Italian scholars, comprises 82 plates and 508 maps, systematically presenting Italy's physical and economic geography. The reviewer first outlines the atlas's structure, dividing it into physical geography (about a quarter, with climate treated in exceptional detail) and economic geography (covering demography, agricultural and industrial production, and services). The content and cartographic methods of various thematic maps—from topography, geology, hydrography, and climate to population, agriculture, industry, and transportation—are summarized. While acknowledging the atlas's comprehensive content and clear, aesthetic cartography, the reviewer identifies several shortcomings: the lack of a large-scale topographic map, the omission of urban geography and tourism, the absence of a soil map, insufficient coverage of fisheries, and flaws in the application of the isarithmic mapping method, as well as the absence of graticules and coordinates. The review concludes that despite these flaws, the atlas remains a valuable reference, though its economic portrayal carries a propagandistic slant favoring the contemporary fascist regime.