National Atlases

Summary

This article reviews the conceptual foundations and international comparability of national atlases. Against the backdrop of the 1961 IGU Congress in Stockholm and the work of the Commission on National Atlases, it argues that rigid uniformity in atlas compilation is impractical; instead, comparability should be achieved through scale, projection, generalization, and thematic organization. The author distinguishes between analytical approaches (e.g., mapping individual resources) and synthetic approaches (e.g., representing complex physical, economic, or social interrelations), citing the Atlas of Australian Resources and the Atlas of Canada as examples of how data availability and production contexts shape outcomes. The article also discusses Salishchev's monograph on national atlases, which criticizes the lack of maps on financial and social structures. Overall, it advocates for methodological coordination rather than standardization, aiming to enhance the scientific value and international utility of national atlases while respecting national diversity.