Sri Lanka
National Atlases
The cartographic tradition of Sri Lanka, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, is deeply rooted in its colonial and post-independence history. The three national atlases in this collection, spanning from 1988 to 2007, reflect the country's evolving efforts to document its geography, resources, and socio-economic landscape. The first, published in 1988, marked a milestone as a comprehensive national reference, compiled by state institutions to consolidate spatial knowledge after decades of independence. The 1997 volume, titled after its compiler, Arjuna, represents a more independent, commercially driven initiative, offering a distinct perspective with detailed thematic maps. The most recent, issued in 2007 by the Survey Department of Sri Lanka, reaffirmed the state's role in maintaining authoritative cartographic records, incorporating modern surveying techniques and updated data. Together, these atlases illustrate a shift from state monopoly to a mix of public and private efforts, while consistently serving as essential tools for planning, education, and national identity. Their legacy lies in providing a continuous, albeit sporadic, record of Sri Lanka's changing terrain and human geography, and they remain key references for researchers and policymakers alike.
Versions and Their Documents
Contemporary and Later Comment
- Journal Article1995The National Atlas of Sri Lanka
U. Schweinfurth
This is an academic review of the first National Atlas of Sri Lanka, published in 1988. The author acknowledges the atlas as a milestone in cartographic representation and a demonstration of nationhood, noting its 1:1,000,000 base scale and text-left/map-right layout. The review critically examines thematic maps on agro-ecology, historical and contemporary population distribution, ethnic and religious groups, and irrigation settlement schemes. A key observation is that the juxtaposition of historical and 1981 population maps reveals a fundamental shift in land use between the dry and wet zones, yet the atlas fails to discuss this significant historical development. The review also identifies omissions such as chena (swidden) cultivation, monsoon impacts on fishing, and forest resources, recommending future editions include a topographical section, bibliography, and more geographically meaningful cartographic methods.
- Journal Article1998Book reviews: Atlas of Sri Lanka
L. M. Sebert
This review evaluates the Atlas of Sri Lanka, a national atlas published by Ajuna Consulting Co Ltd in 1997. Featuring a principal scale of 1:1,650,000, the atlas systematically covers physical geography (relief, geology, climate, soils) and human geography (population, education, health, employment). The reviewer notes that most maps are clearly drawn and informative, but criticizes the single map on ethnic and religious groups for overlaying five religions and five ethnicities onto one pie graph per district, rendering it confusing and undermining its utility for foreigners seeking to understand the roots of ethnic unrest. Drawing on the Dutch cartographer F.J. Ormeling's observation, the review further contends that the atlas omits the activities of the Tamil Tigers, a significant social conflict, thereby compromising the reliability of certain economic and social maps. Overall, the atlas is deemed an impressive reference work, yet its avoidance of contentious social issues constitutes a notable deficiency.
From the Physical Collection
Photographs are being prepared for this hall.