Atlas of Israel

Summary

D. H. K. Amiran and N. Kadmon describe the compilation of the Atlas of Israel, published by the Survey of Israel and the Bialik Institute from late 1956. Israel’s small area permits relatively large scales, mostly 1:750,000–1:2,000,000, but demands detailed, accurate coverage and carefully sized symbols for concentrations around Tel Aviv. To represent rapid geographical change, the editors use time-sequence maps of population, settlement, agriculture, industry, landscape and rainfall. The authors argue that these series explain development and allow later maps to be added. Changing political boundaries and uneven source reliability require different geographical coverage for different periods: most population and economic maps cover the former mandated territory through 1947 and Israel thereafter. Compilation draws on historical records, travellers’ accounts, statistics, existing research and investigations undertaken specifically for the atlas. The authors also discuss the difficulty of representing the contrast between Mediterranean and desert areas and an elevation range of roughly two kilometres. They explain problems with altitude tints and relief depiction, noting that errors on some early sheets were corrected in subsequent sheets. The article outlines fifteen sections spanning cartography, physical geography, landscape evolution, history, population, settlement, economic activities and services, with some contents still planned. At the time of writing, five folders contained 47 sheets and 291 maps, with additional illustrations accompanying the explanatory text. Sheets were issued as completed in mixed-section folders, normally two annually, and the loose-leaf format allowed new sheets to be inserted.