The atlas of the Netherlands

Pannekoek describes the preparation and early publication of the Atlas van Nederland. A committee established in 1932 drew up its initial programme; economic crisis and war delayed implementation, a foundation was established in 1951, and increased government funding secured publication in 1959. A seven-member editorial committee coordinates 17 subject subcommittees and approximately 80 experts, while a central atlas bureau converts institutional contributions into print-ready maps and coordinates symbols and colours. The loose-leaf format allows gradual subscription deliveries and replacement of outdated sheets. Its standard scale of 1:600,000 limits the atlas's physical size. Editorial selection emphasizes geographic relevance and suitability for mapping, with distinctive coverage of water management and spatial planning. Subjects remain in separate chapters, with explanatory texts linking related phenomena. The nine-sheet Nebo soil map at 1:200,000 is included with concise reverse-side explanations adapted for the atlas; explanatory texts, headings and legends have English translations. Advance subscriptions exceeded 6,500 against an expected 1,500. Pannekoek welcomes this interest but notes that the project remains unprofitable and that shortages of binders and suitable paper delay deliveries and reduce the first instalment from ten maps to nine. Publication order depends on data availability and completion of designs. The article describes the first instalment's groundwater, soil, energy-supply and general overview maps, alongside plans for subsequent sheets.