Atlas & Book Reviews: National Atlas of Guatemala

Summary

This review article evaluates two major reference publications: the *Atlas Nacional de Guatemala* (1972) and the four-volume *Gazetteers of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria* (reprint edition, 1972). Through descriptive and critical analysis, the author assesses the cartographic quality, content organization, and scholarly utility of each work. The Guatemalan atlas is praised as a superior cartographic achievement, distinguished by its appealing format, carefully chosen color photographs, and clear, well-designed symbols. Notable high points include a striking plate on internal migration and effective physical, human, and economic resource sections. However, the reviewer identifies several shortcomings: frequent absence of representative fraction or linear scales on map plates, lack of a political organization section, inconsistent lettering sizes, omission of department boundaries, and an overabundance of lifeless gray photographs that detract from the overall quality. Despite these flaws, the atlas remains a valuable visual introduction to Guatemala, compensating readers’ language limitations with universal graphic clarity. The Nigerian gazetteers are presented as far more than simple tables; they are administrative handbooks compiled between the arrival of the British and the 1930s, containing rich demographic, ethnologic, and economic records. Volumes on the Hausa emirates and the pagan groups of the Plateau Province are especially commended for their historical depth. A major weakness is the insufficient number of maps. The reviewer concludes that both works, despite minor correctable faults, are essential acquisitions for scholarly libraries, particularly those with Latin American or African collections. The atlas compensates for its textual limitations with exceptional visual communication, while the gazetteers offer unique primary-source documentation for historical research.