The Atlas of Canada

Summary

This article recounts the making of the Atlas of Canada, a national atlas produced by the Canadian federal government. Following earlier editions in 1906 and 1915, the project was initiated in 1948 under the Geographical Branch of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys. Its purpose was to depict the nature, extent, and use of Canada's physical resources and their impact on the country's economy, society, and political development. The planning involved an interdepartmental committee, while compilation used base maps at a scale of 1:10,000,000, with contributions from nearly all 150 geographers across Canada. The final product consisted of 110 looseleaf sheets published between 1955 and 1958. The atlas is organized thematically, progressing from historical exploration and physical geography to human resources, economic activities, transportation, and finally social and political patterns. It includes maps of climate, geology, population, agriculture, industry, cities, and Canada's political evolution. The author emphasizes that the atlas serves both as an authoritative reference and as a historical record of national development, and it stands alongside other major national atlases as an essential tool for understanding the geography of Canada.