Encyclopedia Article

Atlas of Canada

By George Falconer· 2015

Publication: The History of Cartography, Volume 6: Cartography in the Twentieth Century
Volume: 6
Pages: 116–117

Canada · Version 4

1995

Falconer describes the fifth edition of The National Atlas of Canada as a project developed amid organizational change, fiscal restraint, and rapid computerization. Advisory recommendations redirected it toward the eventual creation of a digital national atlas information system. Perceived differences in user needs prompted a return to separate sheets and a larger map scale. The edition appeared as a series of maps between 1978 and 1994 and as a boxed set of 92 maps at 1:7,500,000.

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This article traces the century-long development of the Atlas of Canada from its first publication in 1906 to its mature online form in the early twenty-first century. Drawing on publication histories, it compares successive editions in terms of responsible institutions, map scales, thematic coverage, formats, and intended users. The first four editions progressively broadened their treatment of national development and cultural identity through printed maps. Amid organizational restructuring, fiscal constraint, and rapid computerization, the fifth edition shifted toward a digital national atlas information system. Launched in 1999 and substantially renewed in 2006, the sixth edition became a web-based platform for educators and the public, offering more than 600 interactive thematic layers, over 1,450 maps, and nationwide topographic and toponymic information. This evolution demonstrates the transformation of a national atlas into a user-centered, collaborative geographic information service.