Les nouvelles planches de l'Atlas national d'Espagne

Summary

This report reviews the preparation of the National Atlas of Spain. The production of thematic maps for a national atlas requires their creators to undertake a wholly original work, yet the economic conditions accompanying map preparation often do not permit such a luxury, as is the case with the National Atlas of Spain. Recently, the twelve plates comprising the second installment of the atlas were published. The plates on "Soils," "Crops and Land Use," and "Annual Rainfall" are adaptations of other maps published at larger scales; the two plates dedicated to the study of industry ("Industry I," "Industry II") were obtained by reworking data from the recently published Industrial Atlas of Spain. The maps on "Roads" (with their corresponding traffic), "Power Stations and Transmission Lines," and "Administrative Divisions" were produced through cartographic preparation of data from state departments. However, the map of "Historical Administrative Divisions" required the collaboration of specialists, and the maps "Hydrography I," "Biogeography I," and "Biogeography II," which complete the group, were entirely redrafted by specialists.