Customer Reviews

National Geographic Atlas of China

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is not a cartographic atlas... more an atlas of maps to understand China, to get a sense of how it is put together. There are regional maps and some city maps, but the real action is in the infographics.

Which areas are fertile plains, which arid, which mountainous and green? What are the population densities per region? Where is Internet use concentrated? How are languages distributed across the region? Where are the water flows, the catchments? Where does wheat grow, corn, rice?

If you're looking for a street map, it's better to buy one locally... rapid change means details change. But if you're looking to understand the big factors driving China, then this National Geographic atlas is a wonderful, innovative resource.

This is probably the best place to start. The maps are clear and detailed and better than most fold maps. The rest is mostly diagrams with relatively little text. The available book-length geographies are mostly reprints of older works. Yi-Fu Tuan's 'A Historical Geography of China' (1969) is a meditation on the interaction of man and nature over the last two thousand years. L. Richard's 'Comprehensive Geography of the Chinese Empire' (1905) is indeed comprehensive and describes China as seen by western merchants and diplomats in the last years of the Manchu dynasty. L.H. Dudley Buxton's 'China: The Land and the People' (1929) is thorough. T.R. Tregear's 'A Geography of China' (1965) has more detail and is not as well written. The long section of the economy is out of date. I would suggest the National Geographic book and then Buxton.

I received this gift from my wife. We have several Chinese immigrants that work at a local restaurant that I frequent. With the language barrier it was difficult to communicate with them. When I received the book Atlas of China, I didn't think that it was going to be helpful. But I took it to the restaurant, and it brought smiles to the to the entire family that ran the restaurant and all of their staff. I have been asked to continue to bring the book back in when I return. Now they are able to show me where they are from. They are starting to speak up about their families and we are learning together the differences in our languages. I have enjoyed reading the rich histories of this country and have been able to make folks from there feel better about being here.

Headed to China within a month, I purchased this book to help me develop a mental picture for the trip. Besides the terrific maps, the book addresses the internal migration of Chinese citizens, the transition from an agriculatural to industrial economy, and related issues that will undergird what will be experienced on the trip. It is current, and for the price, a terrific value.

I was expecting maps with much better detail than this atlas contained, especially from National Geographic. The best detailed maps I have found are the Nelles series.

Very good atlas of China. The right size to fit into suitcase or carry-on. Good street maps of big cities. Good background history of China. Found this atlas very helpful.

l just book this item nearly 5 days ago, but haven't received it now, and l am very hurry to read it. l don't know what happened...

This is a good atlas that covers many dimensions: physical geography, economics, linguistics, and many other aspects. Very informative for anyone interested in China.

There were two areas where it was lacking: It could have had more historical maps of China at different periods. It's also irritating that the maps are labeled with transliterations of the Chinese words for "lake", "city", or "river". For example, it says "Shanghai Shi" instead of "Shanghai Municipality." The editors should have stuck with the English for those common terms.

One other note: The maps don't use Chinese characters or pinyin. This isn't necessarily a fault, but if you are interested in maps with the Chinese characters, you'll have to look somewhere else.

This slim volume goes into the usual details (geography, population, industry, ethnicity, culture)for all of China's many different regions. It lacks genuine depth. Think of it as many excerpts from the "World Book Encyclopedia".

Dozens of useful and attractively presented topical maps on a variety of subjects (population, economy, water, and so on); maps of the major cities in China; and the usual excellent and beautifully presented National Geographic maps of the country. Just what I was looking for.