The new atlas of Israel: the national atlas

Summary

The New Atlas of Israel – The National Atlas, published in English in 2011 by the Survey of Israel and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is based on the 2009 Hebrew edition and updates the 1995 first edition. Designed primarily as a geography teaching tool, it also expands into an authoritative national reference. The atlas was produced through a fully GIS-based cartographic workflow, integrating the National GIS, thematic data from government agencies, satellite imagery, aerial photography and statistical data. A prior legibility and learning-effectiveness study involving university students informed the redesign, leading to improved symbols, color schemes and layout. The atlas contains hundreds of maps and diagrams covering physical landscapes, population, economy, transport, urbanization, boundaries, desert frontier development and environmental quality. Innovations include paired maps and satellite images, orthophoto backgrounds, oblique aerial views, three-dimensional symbols, and new thematic maps such as hi-tech industry distribution and Israel’s international border status. The project demonstrated that GIS-based production enhances accuracy, detail and maintainability. Future work plans to transform the atlas into a digital interactive product and employ 3D/4D GIS to monitor temporal changes, especially urbanization and spatial pressures. The New Atlas of Israel thus functions as an educational, scientific and national reference work.