Lebanon

The national atlas tradition of Lebanon is a relatively recent but significant chapter in the country’s cartographic history, spanning from the late 1960s to the early 2000s. The first atlas, published in 1969 by the Ministry of Planning, emerged during a period of post-independence nation-building, when the state sought to consolidate its territorial identity through systematic mapping. This initial volume set a precedent for using cartography as a tool for development planning and national self-representation. The second atlas, released in 2003, reflected a more contemporary approach, incorporating updated data and methodologies, likely in response to the country’s post-war reconstruction needs. The third, published in 2006 under the auspices of the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), marked a maturation of the tradition, emphasizing scientific rigor and interdisciplinary collaboration. All three atlases were produced in French, a legacy of Lebanon’s colonial and cultural ties, which also positioned them within a broader Francophone cartographic discourse. Although no specific critical commentary is recorded in the collection, the successive editions demonstrate an evolving editorial practice—from state-led planning documents to scientifically driven reference works. Together, these atlases form a compact but coherent corpus that documents Lebanon’s changing landscapes, demographics, and administrative structures over nearly four decades, serving as both historical records and foundational references for future geographic research.