Reviews of Books: Atlas Polski

Summary

This review examines the Atlas of Poland, a four-folder publication issued in 1956 by the Central Office of Geodesy and Cartography in Warsaw. The atlas project began in November 1945 but underwent numerous editorial changes, resulting in only partial completion of the original scheme. Despite the poor paper quality, the cartographic work is highly satisfactory, with each map independently prepared by subject specialists at scales of 1:2M or smaller. The first folder presents early maps of Poland, a general map, soil, drift geology, geomorphology, and gravitation; the second covers orography, drainage basins, geobotany, vegetation, and zoogeography; the third addresses various climatic aspects; and the fourth includes Poland's location relative to Europe and the world, solid/tertiary/quaternary geology, meadows and pastures, and a notable map depicting macro-seasons determined by plant blossoming times, such as the hazel marking pre-spring between February 25 and April 1. The review notes this is a temporary atlas, as a new comprehensive Atlas of Poland is being prepared by the Institute of Geography of the Polish Academy of Sciences, planned to feature 454 maps on 120 sheets in Polish, English, and Russian.