Vianca Cedeño; Aracelly Franco; Aracelis Ortega; Jaime Toral B. · 2008
The authors describe the preparation of the fourth edition of the National Atlas of the Republic of Panama, coordinated by the “Tommy Guardia” National Geographic Institute with a national commission and other collaborating institutions. Coordination resumed in 2002; after slow initial progress, the atlas was completed in December 2007 and launched on 12 February 2008 with 1,500 printed copies offered for sale. Compilation drew on the 2000 population and housing census, the 2000–2001 agricultural census, the 2003 economic census, collaborating institutions’ studies through 2006, and international georeferenced data. Differing cartographic bases, dispersed information, and uneven digital capabilities complicated interoperability. Four base maps were prepared, with thematic mapping at several scales; the base layer used updated 1:250,000 mapping and the latest administrative divisions. The printed edition retained the 1988 format, while digital preparation used ArcGIS and publishing software and sought GIS-compatible files for institutional interoperability. The authors present the atlas as a resource for socioeconomic planning, research, education, and reference, with objectives including digital geospatial databases and geographic-information standardization through metadata and ISO standards.
