Un atlas national

This review assesses the Atlas of Madagascar, the first national atlas produced in francophone tropical Africa. Published in 1969 and 1971, it comprises sixty color plates with extensive commentaries and was completed through Malagasy and French funding, multidisciplinary expertise, and local printing facilities. The atlas assembles a substantial body of critically interpreted information, despite uneven cartographic quality and occasionally outdated symbols. However, its emphasis on export crops, coupled with inadequate data on food production and domestic trade, obscures regional and intraregional inequalities and may overstate the development of coastal areas relative to the central highlands. Its rapid sellout demonstrates its practical value. The review recommends an affordable school atlas and detailed regional atlases as foundations for a more precise national revision, preferably led increasingly by young Malagasy geographers.