National Physical Atlas of the People's Republic of China
中华人民共和国国家自然地图集
China · 中国地图出版社 · 1999
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The National Physical Atlas of China
Liao, Ke · 2001
The National Physical Atlas of China (NPAC), published in 1999, is a large-format comprehensive scientific reference atlas representing a landmark achievement in Chinese thematic cartography. This paper introduces the atlas’s compilation background, design philosophy, main innovations, and scientific significance. The NPAC systematically integrates century-long geo-science, biological, and environmental data—particularly those accumulated since the founding of the People’s Republic of China—and presents them through 540 maps, 115 charts and photos, and nearly 300,000 words of explanatory text, organized into five sections (preface maps, physical environment, natural resources, natural disasters, natural utilization and reservation) and 18 thematic groups. For the first time in China, a large comprehensive national atlas was produced entirely through digital computer-aided design, compilation, and automatic plate-making, marking a revolutionary shift from conventional cartography. The atlas embodies five key innovations: (1) spatial and temporal extension and updating of basic scientific data; (2) a strong focus on sustainable development, highlighting resources, disasters, and nature conservation; (3) extensive mapping of plant and animal distributions to reflect biodiversity; (4) inclusion of new topics from emerging disciplines to reveal environmental formation and evolution; and (5) a full digital workflow. Internationally, the NPAC is recognized as the first standalone national physical atlas in the world with such broad scientific scope and detailed coverage, earning acclaim from the International Cartographic Association as a model for other nations. The atlas provides a critical scientific basis for resource management, ecological protection, disaster mitigation, and sustainable development planning in China, and contributes foundational data to the construction of a digital Earth. Ongoing work aims to develop an electronic version with dynamic and three-dimensional visualization and analytical functions, further extending its societal benefits.
Milestone in the Development of Modern Chinese Cartography: Characteristics and Innovations of the National Atlas of China
Unknown · 2001
This paper expounds the importance of national atlases and the compilation process of the National Atlas of China, focusing on the characteristics and innovations in the compilation of the National Atlas of China: ① A complete compilation of information on China's nature, population, economy, society, and history; ② A systematic summary and synthesis of research achievements in China's geosciences, biology, environmental science, economics, and history; ③ The compilation of the national atlas implements the "sustainable development strategy", highlighting the relationship between humans and nature; ④ The compilation of the national atlas has achieved a fundamental transformation from traditional techniques to full digitization and automation, with electronic atlas and internet map formats further meeting the needs of the information society. The completion of the National Atlas of China not only has significant scientific significance, application value, and social benefits, but also comprehensively promotes the development of contemporary cartography in China. The National Atlas of China, a major innovative achievement in China's scientific and technological community in the 20th century and a monumental atlas embodying the wisdom of two to three generations of Chinese scientists and cartographic experts, is unprecedented not only in China but also rare in the world. The National Atlas of China represents the highest level of contemporary cartographic development in China, has had a significant international impact, and holds an important position among national atlases of various countries. The completion of the National Atlas of China has made a historic and tremendous contribution to the development of Chinese cartography, and it is truly a milestone in the development of modern Chinese cartography.
Evaluation of the National Physical Atlas of China
叶夫捷耶夫, O. A.; 科托娃, T. B.; 吉库诺夫, B. C. · 2000
This review evaluates the National Physical Atlas of China (1999), a monumental cartographic work compiled by over 300 specialists from nearly 40 Chinese institutions under the leadership of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and with Professor Liao Ke as editor‑in‑chief. The atlas comprises 540 maps on 225 pages, systematically structured into five sections: introductory maps, physical environment, natural resources, natural hazards, and nature utilization and conservation. The evaluation highlights the atlas’s interdisciplinary and encyclopedic character, designed to support environmental change studies, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development. By integrating extensive field data with satellite remote sensing, the atlas offers innovative thematic coverage, including maps of heavy metal bioaccumulation in fish, potential net primary productivity under hypothetical climate‑change scenarios (precipitation ±10%, temperature +4°C), temporal distribution of earthquakes, and human diseases caused by selenium, iodine and fluorine deficiencies. Cartographically, the work successfully merges traditional drafting with computer‑aided multimedia and GIS techniques, achieving high scientific accuracy and aesthetic quality at a primary scale of 1:10 000 000. The review concludes that the National Physical Atlas of China is an unparalleled scientific reference, providing critical support for national security, education, and global environmental cooperation, and it stands as one of the finest national atlases published in recent decades.
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