Israel

This review discusses the first two fascicles of the Atlas of Israel (Tel Aviv, 1957), published by the Department of Surveys of the Israel Ministry of Labour in collaboration with the Bialik Institute and the Jewish Agency, under the editorship of Prof. D. H. K. Amiran (Hebrew University) and colleagues. The atlas, issued in Hebrew with an English table of contents, is planned to comprise about 100 sheets released in annual fascicles. The first two fascicles include sheets on cartography (notably a reproduction of the Madaba Map of 505 AD), geomorphology, history, population, agriculture, industry, transport, and climate. The review focuses on the temperature sheet of the climate section, which presents three maps at 1:17.5 million covering the Middle East (mean temperature of the coldest and hottest months, and annual mean) and five maps at 1:1.6 million for Palestine (mean diurnal and annual temperature ranges, January and August means, and annual mean). The maps employ 2°C isolines with up to 14 colour gradations, executed to a high cartographic standard. The reviewer regards the atlas as a highly valuable scholarly work and anticipates further climate sheets on precipitation, pressure, wind, humidity, dew, and evaporation.

W. P. G. Thomson

This review examines the initial fascicules of the Atlas of Israel, published in 1956 by the Department of Surveys, Ministry of Labour, and the Bialik Institute of the Jewish Agency. The atlas employs a loose-leaf format designed to accommodate rapid geographical changes, covering cartography, physical geography, history, demography, economics, and education. Each map sheet includes an academic essay and multilingual bibliography on its reverse. The reviewer notes that while the Hebrew-only publication limits accessibility for non-Hebrew-speaking European scholars, its production quality and scholarly scope make it invaluable for geographers studying Palestine.

D. H. K. Amiran; N. Kadmon

The Atlas of Israel, edited by D. H. K. Amiran and N. Kadmon of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, is a national atlas published in installments since 1956. This article outlines the unique challenges and solutions involved in its compilation. Firstly, Israel's small area (about 20,700 sq. km.) necessitated much larger map scales than those used in most national atlases, typically ranging from 1:750,000 to 1:2,000,000. Secondly, given the country's rapid and profound geographical changes since the late 19th century, the editors adopted 'time-sequence mapping' as a guiding principle, depicting various themes such as population, agriculture, industry, and landscape at different historical dates to dynamically portray national development. The compilation also grappled with difficulties arising from frequent political boundary changes leading to inconsistent source data, the country's location astride the desert-sown climatic boundary, and extreme topographic contrasts (from nearly 400 meters below sea level at the Dead Sea to 1600 meters above in the mountains). The article concludes by outlining the atlas's fifteen sections, covering topics from geomorphology, geology, and climate to history, population, agriculture, industry, and services, and describes its loose-leaf publication format.

André Libault

This article reviews the publication of Israel's National Atlas. Issued in fascicles, the atlas is ambitious in scope, comprising about one hundred maps organized into fifteen thematic sections. The author analyzes the content of the fascicles received, highlighting cartographic innovations such as placing the country within its biogeographical context for animal distribution, using historical maps to trace landscape evolution, and employing detailed symbols for population and settlement types. The review concludes that the atlas comprehensively presents Israel's physical and human geography while uniquely emphasizing the connection between the present and its past. Despite its high production quality, the exclusive use of Hebrew limits its international accessibility, a point of regret, with anticipation for an English edition.

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.

Ena L. Yonge

This article provides a systematic summary review of approximately one hundred regional atlases from around the world, organized primarily by continent (or other large region) and then alphabetically by country within each group. The author begins by noting that the ever-increasing flood of atlases—national, regional, topical, and special—makes individual reviews impossible, thus necessitating summary evaluations to acknowledge important publications while respecting space constraints. The review covers representative works from Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America, and South America, encompassing road atlases, historical-geographical atlases, national atlases, climatic atlases, economic atlases, and school atlases. Each atlas is assessed in terms of its compiling institution, editors, scales, number of plates, content structure, cartographic techniques, printing quality, and scholarly value, with notable features and shortcomings highlighted. For instance, the European section evaluates works such as the Euroatlas, Atlas östliches Mitteleuropa, Atlas von Niederösterreich, Atlas de Belgique, Climatic Atlas of Czechoslovakia, Atlas of Denmark, and Atlas of Finland, while the American section covers state atlases from Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia, as well as national atlases from Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. The article emphasizes that these atlases not only reflect the research standards of geography and cartography in their respective countries but also serve as vital references for regional planning, economic development, historical research, and education. The author concludes by acknowledging that no single individual can possess sufficient expertise across all aspects of geography, cartography, and linguistics to render definitive critical judgments, yet such summaries offer valuable guidance to scholars, with a forthcoming review of world atlases and special atlases announced.

F. Steinhauser

This review discusses the 8th and 9th deliveries of the Atlas of Israel (published in Jerusalem, 1963), highlighting maps of special interest to climatologists and geophysicists. The new deliveries add 22 map sheets, notably a map showing annual mean distributions of relative humidity, cloudiness, and vapor pressure at a scale of 1:2,000,000, supplemented by histograms at selected stations illustrating annual cycles. Additional maps depict the frequency of nights with dew and days with very hot, dry weather (Sharav days). The reverse side contains explanatory text in Hebrew, including graphs of diurnal humidity variation, annual and monthly pressure changes. Four geographical sheets at 1:250,000 covering Palestine and surroundings are also praised for their hypsometric coloring.

J. S. Keates

This article compares the national atlases of Brazil and Israel, illustrating the diverse challenges cartographers face when dealing with different national units. The Atlas of Brazil serves as a general geographical sketch of a vast, underdeveloped region, employing basic cartographic methods including physiographic diagrams; despite modest drafting and reproduction standards, its maps are simple and legible, representing a courageous attempt at a formidable task. In contrast, the Atlas of Israel offers a detailed examination of historical and contemporary distributions within the modern state's territory, covering sections on cartography, physical geography, history, demography, economics, and education. Its cartographic techniques follow standard national atlas practices, with high-quality drafting and reproduction, ranking it among the best existing national atlases. Together, these two works highlight the variety of approaches in data presentation and cartographic methodology.

David H.K. Amiran; N. Kadmon

The Atlas of Israel, authored by David H.K. Amiran and N. Kadmon of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, reviews the completion of its first Hebrew edition in 1964, comprising 102 sheets and 720 large-scale maps. Although modeled on other national atlases, it differs due to Israel's rapidly evolving cultural landscape, unique geographical position and form, and a changing documentary base. To address extreme transformations in agriculture, economy, and services from a 600% population increase, the atlas employs time-sequence map series for most subjects, with a final folder adding updated maps. The country's northern half exhibits high geographical diversity contrasting with the monotonous south, and varied topography over small altitude ranges, necessitating tailored cartographic methods. Additionally, the region's inclusion in three political frameworks (Ottoman, British, and Israeli) over 50 years led to inconsistent scientific data coverage and reliability, posing editorial challenges. The atlas thus serves as a model for national mapping in dynamic contexts, balancing comprehensive representation with adaptability.

Niels Nielsen

This is an academic review of the "Atlas of Israel" and the "Atlas der Republik Österreich". The former, published jointly by the Survey of Israel and Elsevier in 1970, comprises approximately 550 maps with detailed textual commentary, covering topics in physical geography, human and economic geography, and history. The review notes that the atlas extends beyond the 1948 State of Israel to include the ceasefire lines with Syria and Jordan, as well as the Gaza Strip, roughly corresponding to the boundaries of the 1920 Palestine Mandate. Key issues discussed include the region's freshwater economy, the influx of nearly two million Jewish immigrants, and the resulting socio-economic restructuring and political conflicts. The atlas is praised for its comprehensive and technically impressive presentation of a complex and strategically significant area. The latter work, the fourth volume of the Austrian atlas, contains 20 map sheets characterized by thematic diversity and detailed analysis, exemplified by a hydrogeological map with 60 symbols, providing a rich depiction of the country's water resources.

W. Witt

This review discusses the second English edition of the Atlas of Israel, published in 1970 by the Survey of Israel and Elsevier Publishing Company. The atlas comprises 71 map sheets covering physical, human, and economic geography as well as history. Compared to the original Hebrew edition (1956–1964), this revised and condensed version incorporates areas under Israeli administration since the 1967 Six-Day War—Judea, Samaria, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights—but excludes the Sinai Peninsula due to scale and data limitations. The atlas is organized into 15 thematic sections, with the most extensive being “History” (12 sheets) and “Cartography” (13 sheets). A notable feature is its emphasis on both current conditions and temporal changes, alongside scientific rigor and exemplary cartography. Some maps include accuracy notes or source citations, and land-use maps differentiate between the 1950s and 1960s. Overall, the Atlas of Israel holds a distinctive position among national atlases, meriting attention for both content and cartographic methodology.

N. Bentwich

This review assesses the second edition of the Atlas of Israel (1970), an English-language publication offering comprehensive coverage of the country's geography, history, politics, economy, society, and culture from the early 20th century onward. The reviewer praises its detailed physical geography—including geology, climate, hydrology, flora, fauna, and land use—and human geography sections on population, settlement, agriculture, industry, trade, and services. However, notable criticisms include the absence of maps depicting the 1918–1948 British Mandate borders and the pre-1967 boundary with Syria, including the demilitarized zones. Some maps, such as those showing cultural amenities, are deemed superfluous, and the tourism section is considered inappropriate for an academic atlas. Despite its excellent production and rich information, the atlas exhibits selective omissions and political bias.

Émile Kolodny

This article reviews major atlases published in Israel between 1980 and 1989, covering national, regional, and urban scales. It highlights the third edition of the Atlas of Israel (1985), with two-thirds of its plates devoted to population, economy, and urban structure, including a new geological map of Sinai; the Atlas of Haifa and Mount Carmel (1980); and the Atlas of the Negev (1986), which examines settlement and resource development in a semi-arid region. The review also assesses historical atlases of Jerusalem and the Holy Land by Nebenzahl, Rubin, Bahat, and Gilbert, as well as general educational atlases and the Survey of Israel's monograph series. Collectively, these works demonstrate significant progress in Israeli cartography in thematic diversity, technical precision, and historical depth.

Michael R.C. Coulson

Erik A. Ellehoj

Arie Shachar; Tamar Soffer

The fourth edition of the New Atlas of Israel, published in 1995, continues the scholarly tradition of its predecessors while introducing radical changes in format and orientation: shifting from a large hardcover volume to a portable softcover booklet and adopting a user-oriented editorial policy. This paper details the editorial strategies behind this transformation, including topic selection, clarity of presentation, structured legends, and cartographic generalization, all aimed at enhancing legibility and educational applicability. Comprising 44 sheets with over 250 maps and diagrams, the atlas balances academic rigor with public accessibility, marking a crucial step toward a future electronic atlas.

Tamar Soffer; Arie Shachar

The Atlas 2000, the fifth edition of the renowned Atlas of Israel, is scheduled for publication in 2004, nine years after the fourth edition in 1995. This paper examines the fundamental differences between the fourth edition and Atlas 2000, focusing on two main axes: contents and sources of information. In terms of contents, the new edition introduces two emerging national agenda topics: global climate change and its implications for Israel's agriculture, water supply, and geopolitical stability, and economic globalization, which reshapes industrial distribution, transportation patterns, and socio-economic disparities. Regarding sources, the edition leverages advanced statistical databases, GIS laboratories, high-resolution satellite imagery, and the 1995 census to enhance cartographic accuracy and expand the atlas to nearly double the size of its predecessor. Atlas 2000 aims to represent the state of the art in cartography and geography for the early 21st century, with the potential to transform geography education in Israel.

Haim Srebro

The New Atlas of Israel – The National Atlas was published in English for the first time in 2011 by the Survey of Israel and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Atlas gives expression to geography of the region, reflecting its unique location. The New Atlas of Israel – the National Atlas, in its English edition, is based upon a translation of the Hebrew edition published in August 2009, which was in effect a new edition which updated and expanded upon the 1995 edition. The 1995 departed from the large format series of the traditional Atlas of Israel, which included scientific articles in addition to maps. The New Atlas of Israel was planned for geography pupils, using the most advanced methodologies and technologies, in a size that fits school bags. Hundreds of maps, and tens of diagrams were prepared for the 2011 atlas, using innovative methods that were published in blaze of colors, in order to allow readers and students to recognize the physical components of the landscape of Israel and the plethora of human, social, economic and settlement phenomena of the land of Israel. Special attention was given to the development of the human and settlement landscape in the last one hundred years. Here special emphasis has been placed on the layout of the population and the economy in Israel, in the most recent generations.