A survey of single-country atlases

Summary

This paper systematically examines the physical properties, cartographic characteristics, and content structure of single-country atlases. The study analyzes 21 published atlases and 6 proposed ones, covering dimensions, weight, binding, projection, scale, and topical coverage. Results show that a modern single-country atlas averages approximately 17×13 inches, weighs about 12 pounds, and often employs loose-leaf binding. Scale selection is constrained by national shape and extent, with simple numerical relationships preferred for comparative ease. Content analysis reveals that such atlases typically encompass four major thematic groups—general, physical, economic, and social—though coverage varies with publication purpose and era. The study offers concrete recommendations for a new atlas of Canada, including the Lambert Conformal Conic projection and a base scale of 1:10,000,000.