About the Author

Carolyn Hall is a retired professor of Geography at the Universidad de Costa Rica.

Hector Brignoli is Professor of History at the Universidad de Costa Rica.

Reviews

Retired geography professor Hall and history professor P?rez Brignoli, both associated with the Universidad de Costa Rica, and cartographer Cotter (geography, Southwestern Univ.) have collaborated on a rather unusual project. This handsomely produced atlas of Central America is divided into five principal if sometimes overlapping sections: "Environment and Territory"(geography, climate, ecology, and an overview of political boundaries); "People and Places: The Patterns of Cultural Change" (Indian cultures and the Spanish conquest); "Colonial Societies" (colonial repression and the "Pax Hispanica"); "The Formation of National Societies" (postcolonial development, political-territorial evolution, economics, and transportation); and "The Challenge of Development" (20th-century political development, social movements, and revolutions). The authoritative text is enhanced by 405 color maps and 140 color illustrations. The main theme is fragmentation and diversity, which is in evidence here except for a brief period of unity. A 24-page classified bibliography and glossary give this study added dimension. No comprehensive historical atlas of the Central American countries has been issued in recent decades, and this one certainly fills that void. Highly recommended for all academic and larger public libraries, especially those with geographical collections.-Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.