National atlases

Summary

National atlases emerged as a significant development in cartography, systematically presenting the physical and human geography of individual countries. Early examples were often produced by young nations or those with strong national sentiment, such as the Atlas of Scotland (1895) and the Atlas of Finland. Comprehensive national atlases followed in Canada, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union, covering topography, climate, geology, population, and economic activities. Effectively representing population distribution remained challenging: the dot method proved arbitrary at small scales, while layer-colouring of density zones was generally preferred. Although Britain possessed the necessary materials—compiled by the Ordnance Survey at 1:625,000—no official national atlas had yet been published. During the war, innovative projections like Harrison's orthographic 'Look at the World' promoted a spherical worldview, reflecting the transformative impact of aviation on geographical perception.