Atlas der Schweiz — interaktiv

Summary

This article describes the transformation of the Atlas of Switzerland from a traditional printed national atlas into an interactive multimedia cartographic system. Initiated by the Institute of Cartography at ETH Zurich in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, the Federal Office of Topography, and the design studio DUPLEX, the project adopted a dual strategy combining revised print products with a complementary digital edition. Its first commercial CD-ROM focuses on interactive statistical mapping and three-dimensional visualization of Swiss landscapes. The atlas presents approximately 250 topics concerning society, the economy, government, politics, population, elections, and regional development, largely drawing on official statistical data. Users can select municipalities, cantons, major regions, or customized areas, retrieve local indicators with national reference values, observe historical change through animated sequences, and formulate analytical queries based on specified thresholds. The system also incorporates the nationwide DHM25 digital elevation model at 25-meter resolution, enabling rapid generation of shaded relief maps, perspective views, panoramas, and user-defined elevation coloring. By combining established Swiss cartographic expertise with multimedia technology, the atlas expands the analytical, educational, and exploratory functions of national mapping. It serves as an accessible public information resource, a teaching aid, a basis for decision-making, and an interdisciplinary research instrument. Its technical and graphic innovations established it as a milestone in Swiss cartography and earned international recognition before publication, while planned thematic extensions are intended to broaden its future coverage.