Yugoslavia

This gallery presents the national atlas tradition of Yugoslavia, a federal state that existed from 1918 to 1992. The four atlases in this collection, published between 1952 and 1987, reflect the country’s evolving cartographic practices and its efforts to represent a multi-ethnic, socialist federation on paper. The tradition began in the early post-war period, when the newly established Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia sought to consolidate its identity through mapping. The 1952 atlas, issued by Geokarta, set a precedent for comprehensive national coverage, blending physical geography with administrative boundaries. The 1961 atlas, published by Znanje, refined this approach, emphasizing thematic detail and accessibility for educational use. By 1973, the Planning Atlas shifted focus to spatial planning, a response to rapid urbanization and regional development policies. The final work, the 1987 Great Geographical Atlas, produced by Sveučilišna naklada Liber, represents a culmination of Yugoslav cartography, integrating advanced techniques and a broader scope. These atlases served not only as scientific references but also as instruments of nation-building, projecting unity across diverse republics. Their legacy lies in documenting a now-vanished state’s geographical self-perception, offering scholars a unique window into how a federal socialist country envisioned its territory and people.