The newly published atlas of the tropical Netherlands

Summary

This article describes the newly published Atlas of the Tropical Netherlands, produced by the Royal Netherlands Geographical Society in collaboration with the Topographical Service of the Netherlands East Indies. After two earlier attempts failed because of the war and economic crisis, the atlas realizes a long-standing ambition. It aims to serve both practical use and scientific survey, representing current knowledge of physical and human geography through cartography. The atlas contains general orientation maps of global shipping, air, telegraph and radio routes; chorographic maps of Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccas, Netherlands New Guinea, Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles, with varying scales and inset town plans. Orography is shown by hypsometric tints and isohypses, and the reliability of contours is indicated. The scientific section includes maps of seas and morphology, volcanoes and landscapes, meteorology, biogeography, geophysics, geology and minerals, population, education, languages, agriculture, plantations, irrigation, land use, and historical geography. Data were contributed by specialists; sources and dates of compilation are listed. Although the depression delayed production, the maps were updated where possible. The article concludes that the atlas provides a comprehensive overview and will enrich knowledge of the Netherlands' overseas territories.