Reviews: Atlas de France

Summary

This review examines the initial sixteen plates of the Atlas de France, published by the Comité National de Géographie between 1933 and 1934, covering relief, climate, industry, commerce, and population density and dynamics. The author offers a detailed critique of the relief maps, noting both their clarity and the shortcomings in contour interval selection for representing subtle plain features. The climatological sheets, based on the works of Angot and Bénévent, present temperature distributions and frost data. Industrial maps clearly delineate mineral concessions and the regional patterns of metallurgy and textiles. The population density maps, plotted at the commune level, achieve notable accuracy and reveal significant distributions, such as the Lyon–Saint-Étienne complex and the extension of dense settlement from Alsace across the former frontier. Overall, the atlas is praised as a valuable scholarly contribution to regional geography, though the review suggests potential improvements in cartographic techniques.