Kartografische Sectie
A Notable Cartographic Inventory of Latin America1,2
In the course of the 19th Century large parts of the world were settled more densely
and brought into more intensive utilization primarily through individual initiative
and individual effort. This is true for extensive areas in the United States, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, southern South America, southern Africa, Russia in
Europe and Russia in Asia. Today practically no land is available for new settle-
ment that is comparable to the lands occupied by the great expansion of the 19th
Century. The sparsely settled areas of potential agricultural value are limited to
lands located in the higher latitudes and in the tropics. Especially in the latter,
conversion of land to more intensive uses is a difficult enterprise for which, in
most areas and most cases, the will power of an individual or even of a small group
of people is entirely insufficient for attaining success. In many parts of the tropics
pioneering in the old-fashioned meaning of the word is a waste of effort. Only
careful planning based upon thorough scientific studies in the field by a variety
of specialists may make it possible to avoid not only much waste of human effort,
but also of materials and money. The outcome of the British 'Peanut Scheme' in
Africa during the last World War Stands as a monumental warning to all who should
wish to undertake large scale development schemes in tropical areas without the
most careful scientific investigations on the ground.
Notwithstanding the fact that in most parts of the world the prevailing tendency
is for people to move or drift to urban and metropolitan areas - leading to decreases
in population density in the agrarian areas - if world population conti nues to
increase at present rates the time is not far off when both denser settlement and
more intensive exploitation of the land will be needed in some of the now sparsely
populated areas of the tropics.
Before even plans to such purposes can be formulated on any important scale,
MEDEDELINGEN NR 35
Bestuur: Prof. dr. f. j. ormeling, Voorzitter, Bachlaan 39, Hilversum; Dr. j. j. c. piket, Secretaris,
St. Annastraat 418, Nijmegen; m. de smit, Penningmeester, Laan van Poot 124, 's-Gravenhage,
giro 484407; Leden: Drs. w. f. heinemeijer, Amsterdam; w. f. den hengst, Delft; Dr. ir. c.
koeman, De Bilt; g. d. raasveldt, 's-Gravenhage; Drs. j. e. romein, Groet; a. van der Waag,
DelftDrs. g. f. Willems, Amsterdam.
Ere-lid: j. schokkenkamp, 's-Gravenhage.
Sub-Redactie-Commissie: Dr. ir. c. koeman.
Werkgroep voor de Geschiedenis van de Kartografie: Mr. b. van 't hoff, Burnierstraat 42'
's-Gravenhage, VoorzitterDr. ir. c. koeman, Park Arenberg 71, De Bilt, Secretaris.
Alle correspondentie betreffende het lidmaatschap van de Kartografische Sectie (adreswijzi-
gingenetc.) dient uitsluitend aan het Secretariaat, St. Annastraat 418, Nijmegen, gericht te worden.
Losse nrs en ab. op de 'Mededelingen' kunnen eveneens aangevraagd worden bij het Secretariaat.
Verzoeke alle kopij en recensie-exemplaren te zenden aan het Redactie-Secretariaat van het
Geografisch Tijdschrift, Noord Houdri- gelaan 28, Bilthoven.
Advertentie-kopij zenden aan Intermedia Groningen N.V., Otto Eerelmanstraat 10a, Groningen.
K.N.A.G. Geografisch Tijdschrift I (1967) Nr. 2
