Atlas of Micronesia /

The second edition represents considerable improvement over the typescript, spiral bound first edition (1987). The perfect binding, colored cover, and 8 1/2- x 11-inch size lends a more substantial look and feel to this atlas, the only one that covers this part of the world. The 42 black-and-white maps are generally well drawn and reproduced and illustrate topics on the region as a whole, the principal settled islands, and three thematic maps of Guam. Some maps have been updated from the first edition, others have been reduced to fit the smaller format of this new edition, and a new map of airport routes and distances has been added. However, the text contains the real core of the work and gives the atlas its general appeal. In addition to chapters on the physical and cultural geography of Micronesia, the second edition has new chapters on tourism, indigenous geographic names, island vegetation, and early historical contact, bridging the 1521-1668 gap of the first edition. Statistical tables have been updated. The better packaging and low price of this basic reference source makes it a wise and recommended purchase for academic libraries. P. L. Stark; University of Oregon

On seeing this title, one may ask, "Just where is Micronesia?" A group of islands with a total land area about the size of Rhode Island, yet scattered over an area of the western Pacific Ocean larger than the continental U.S, Micronesia is part of Oceania. It lies northeast of Australia and southwest of Hawaii; Polynesia is to its northeast. Micronesia includes the Caroline, Marshall, and Gilbert Islands, as well as Guam. First published in 1988, this Atlas of Micronesia compiles maps and text on various aspects of Micronesian natural, man-made, and human resources. More than 80 black-and-white maps, 16 tables, and 14 photographs are interspersed throughout three main parts. Part 1 covers physical geography, atoll environments, flora, and human history through mid-twentieth-century American expansion into the Pacific and rule in Guam. Part 2, "Micronesia," discusses the restoration of indigenous names (e.g., Nauru was named "Pleasant Island" by a British captain in 1798; Germans restored the name Nauru in the 1890s), canoes and navigation, economic development, and climate. Tables here include weather data, employment in tourist-related businesses, and hotel occupancy rates. Part 3, "Individual Islands and Atolls," covers Guam, Saipan, and seven other island units that are "representative and vital to their respective areas." Author Karolle is professor of geography at the Micronesian Area Research Center, University of Guam. The Atlas of Micronesia will be a required purchase for any library aspiring to provide information about this part of the world. (Reviewed Jan. 15, 1994)