Venezuela Atlas 1979

Venezuela's map situation: past and present

細井将右 · 1982

This paper reviews the cartography in Venezuela, focusing on official general maps of land and atlases from the colonial period to the present. It begins with a brief description of the country's geography and history. For the colonial era, figures such as Juan de la Cosa, Blaeuw, Betin, Gumilla, Solano, Fidalgo, and Humboldt are mentioned. In the 19th century, European-born scholars like Codazzi made significant contributions; his 'Atlas Fisico y Politico de la Republica de Venezuela' (completed 1839) served as a 'mother map' for a long period. In the 20th century, mapping became systematic: the Comision del Plano Militar was created in 1904, initiating official topographic surveys; the Direccion de Cartografia Nacional was established in 1937. A national basic control network was started in 1942, covering 70% of the territory by 1975. Aerial photography, begun in 1936, covered 85% of the country by 1975. Topographic mapping at 1:25,000 covered about 60% of the territory. The Direccion also produces maps at various scales and published two editions of the 'Atlas de Venezuela' in 1969 and 1979.