Atlas nacionales como base para la confección de un gran atlas de América

Summary

This article examines the necessity and feasibility of producing national atlases (Atlas Nacional) for American countries, highlighting the significant deficiencies in current American cartography and the urgent need for official publications that accurately reflect each nation's geographical and historical reality. It proposes a systematic organizational and implementation framework, including the establishment of a central coordinating body (such as a National Atlas Commission), a division of labor among official, autonomous, and private sectors, and principles for arranging historical and geographical content. The article also addresses supplementary materials (e.g., statistical data, gazetteers, photographs) and financing challenges, and advocates for the compilation of a 'Great Atlas of America' (Gran Atlas de América) under the coordination of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH) to foster regional cooperation and cultural advancement.