Greece
National Atlases
In the mid-1960s, Greece's national statistical service undertook an ambitious cartographic project, producing three atlases within a three-year span. This effort emerged in a period of post-war reconstruction and rapid modernization, when the state sought to systematically document its social and economic landscape. The first, the Economic and Social Atlas of Greece (1964), was a trilingual publication based on the 1961 census, mapping demographic, agricultural, industrial, and transportation data. It was followed by the Atlas of Greece at 1:200,000 scale (1965), a topographical reference, and the Industrial Atlas of Greece (1966), which detailed the 1963 industrial census. These works were notable for their comprehensive scope and statistical rigor, reflecting a centralized approach to national self-knowledge. Contemporary reviews praised the economic and social atlas as a fundamental cartographic document, while later scholarship recognized the series as a milestone in Greek statistical cartography. Though limited in number, these atlases provided a cohesive snapshot of the nation at a pivotal moment, and their data-driven methodology influenced subsequent cartographic practices in Greece.
Versions and Their Documents
Economic and Social Atlas of Greece
1964 · Εθνική Στατιστική Υπηρεσία της Ελλάδος
Atlas of Greece 1:200,000
1965 · Εθνική Στατιστική Υπηρεσία της Ελλάδος
Industrial Atlas of Greece: Census 1963
1966 · Εθνική Στατιστική Υπηρεσία της Ελλάδος
Contemporary and Later Comment
- Journal Article1965Cartographical progress: Economic and social atlas of Greece
Neil Smith
The Economic and Social Atlas of Greece, published in Athens in 1964 by the National Statistical Service, the Centre of Economic Research, and the Social Sciences Centre, aims to systematically present the economic geography and social structure of Greece. The atlas contains 126 maps employing various cartographic techniques (e.g., dot and shading methods, layer tinting for relief and rainfall), covering diverse topics such as population density, education, agriculture, industry, and mineral resources, with trilingual text in Greek, English, and French. It fills a notable gap in Greek geographic studies, serving as a foundation for detailed investigations and an invaluable resource for students of Greek geography.
- Journal Article1966Atlas économique et social de Grèce
Fernand Joly
This article reviews the significant academic work, the Economic and Social Atlas of Greece. Created by scholars of three nationalities, the atlas aims to systematically present Greece's economic and social characteristics to support rational national development policies. It is trilingual, based on the 1961 censuses, with data detailed to the eparchy level, and includes full data, diagrams, and detailed comments. Despite some cartographic simplifications, such as relative values not being referenced to absolute ones and livestock distribution not reflecting true geographic contrasts, the atlas remains an excellent analytical and documentation tool, serving as a foundation for future, more detailed synthesis.
From the Physical Collection
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