Vietnam越南

Р. И. Злотин; С. В. Зонн; Д. А. Лилиенберг; Я. Г. Машбиц; А. И. Фадеев; В. П. Чичагов

This article summarizes the experience of cooperation between the Institute of Geography of the USSR Academy of Sciences and geographers and cartographers of Cuba, Mongolia, and Vietnam in creating national atlases of these countries. It analyzes the scientific concept of the atlases, the integrity and coverage of their subject matter, the combination of fundamental character and practical orientation, structural features, and integration potential. The article proposes a working definition of a national atlas: a fundamental comprehensive cartographic work reflecting a special object of mapping—the nation-state as an integral entity in the full systemic complexity of internal and external factors and historical preconditions of its existence and development. It elaborates principles for developing national atlases for countries with limited geographic and cartographic knowledge, including: broad thematic coverage oriented toward national economic and social planning practice; clear expression of resource-ecological, socio-economic, and ethno-cultural specificity; a flexible structure; and organization as a special target program coordinating interdisciplinary, interdepartmental, and often international efforts. The article examines the thematic structure of the national atlases of Cuba (1970), Mongolia (1989), and Vietnam, comprising introductory sections, general geographic maps, historical-revolutionary maps, nature and natural resources, population and settlement, economy, socio-economic development, and social infrastructure. It also discusses scale series, the role of general economic maps, legend capacity, and the integration potential of national atlases as embodiments of systemic mapping that realize direct and feedback links between geography and cartography. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of such atlases for poorly studied countries as effective tools for planning and scientific acceleration, and outlines prospects for further improvement of national atlases, maintaining the priority of Soviet geographic cartography, and international scientific-technical cooperation.

R. I. Zlotin; S. V. Zonn; D. A. Liliyenberg; Ya. G. Mashbits; A. I. Fadeyev; V. P. Chichagov

This article systematically summarizes the concepts, content, and development experience of national atlases, based on the long-term collaboration between the Institute of Geography of the USSR Academy of Sciences and geographers and cartographers of Cuba, Mongolia, and Vietnam. The authors first review nearly four decades of international cooperation: the first National Atlas of Cuba was produced in 1965–1970, receiving international acclaim and the USSR State Prize in 1973; work on the National Atlas of Mongolia began in 1976 jointly with Mongolian and Siberian scientists; and in the late 1980s new editions for Cuba and Vietnam were undertaken. The Soviet side contributed mainly to scientific concept design, coordination, methodological consulting, scientific editing, and specialist training. A working definition of the national atlas is proposed: it is a fundamental integrated cartographic work that treats the nation-state as a holistic entity, reflecting the complexity of its natural, historical, socioeconomic, and ethnocultural systems and the interaction of internal and external factors. For countries with limited geographic and cartographic study, several principles are suggested: the atlas should have broad thematic coverage oriented toward national economic and social planning; it should realistically portray the degree of integrated research on nature, resources, economy, population, and social factors; its structure should be flexible; and its creation should be organized as a special-purpose program uniting interdisciplinary, interdepartmental, and often international teams. The article further discusses the relationship between scale series and content, emphasizing that national atlases embody systems mapping and strengthen the integrating links among geography, cartography, and other sciences. Comparative analysis shows that the Mongolian and Vietnamese atlases have more modern structures, broader socioeconomic coverage, and a larger number of mapped subjects than the Cuban one, while their formats have become more compact. The authors conclude that national atlases can be created even under incomplete study of a territory and can serve as powerful stimuli for further research, the development of national scientific schools, and the formation of research teams. The inclusion of controversial or alternative maps is considered a viable option. Further improvement of national atlases is necessary to enhance their theoretical, practical, and ideological potential, as well as to promote international cooperation in geography and cartography.