The Atlas of Israel

Summary

This paper introduces the background, characteristics, and content of the *Atlas of Israel*, a national atlas covering a mere 20,700 square kilometers yet employing large scales from 1:500,000 to 1:2,000,000 to meet high-precision cartographic demands. Key challenges include rapid dynamic changes (e.g., population growth, agricultural intensification) necessitating time-sequence maps; uneven reliability of sources due to political shifts; and terrain spanning an aridity boundary with elevations from 400 meters below sea level to 1,600 meters above, requiring meticulous hypsometric tinting. The atlas comprises 15 thematic sections (e.g., geomorphology, climate, population, agriculture), planned for about 100 sheets, published in folders since 1956, serving as a tool for geographic study and economic planning.