The Human Scope of Cartography – towards a new national atlas of the Netherlands

Summary

This article reviews the conceptual framework and organizational practice of the second edition of the Atlas of the Netherlands (published in 20 volumes between 1984 and 1988). In response to the limitations of the first encyclopedic inventory, the new edition adopts a problem-oriented approach organized around five main themes: population and settlements, human welfare, human resources, natural resources and environment, and physical planning. Methodologically, the atlas treats cartography as a communication medium, applies graphic semiology as a grammar, and combines diverse map types with explanatory texts. The article argues that the new atlas deliberately gives cartography a human scope, focusing on major societal and planning issues rather than exhaustive resource inventories, and addresses both specialists and the general public. It also describes the collaborative production structure, involving an editorial committee, some 60 authors, a cartographic bureau and a publisher, within a strict schedule. The atlas thus represents not only an updated national spatial document but also a demonstration of the humanistic orientation of cartography and the continuing relevance of national atlases for planning and public communication.