About the Atlas of the Byelorussian SSR

Summary

This article reviews the Atlas of the Byelorussian SSR, a comprehensive national atlas published to mark the 40th anniversary of Soviet Belarus. The atlas integrates physical, economic, political, and historical geography, containing over 150 maps covering administrative divisions, physical geography, natural resources, economy, population, culture, and history. The author examines the atlas's structure, content, and cartographic methods, highlighting its strengths: the wealth and detail of natural maps, especially geomorphological and climatic maps; the effective combination of dot and cartogram techniques in agricultural maps; and the valuable series of regional economic maps. The article also notes several shortcomings: the absence of synthetic maps such as agroclimatic and physiographic regionalization; inconsistencies between some maps (e.g., Quaternary deposits and geomorphology, forests and geobotany); and the limited enrichment of regional physical maps relative to the republic-wide map. Overall, the atlas is assessed as an outstanding achievement of Soviet cartography, exemplifying the high level of Belarusian science and setting a precedent for other republics to produce comprehensive regional atlases.