International Conference on National and Regional Atlases

Summary

This report covers the International Conference on National and Regional Atlases, held in Kolkata, India, from February 22 to 24, 2003. Sponsored by the National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization (NATMO) of India, the conference was co-organized with the ICA Commission on National and Regional Atlases and the Memorial Foundation to Prof. S.P. Chatterjee. The event commemorated Professor Chatterjee's outstanding contributions to geography and cartography, particularly his role in establishing the National Atlas Organization in 1956. Nearly 200 participants from government, academia, and the private sector attended, engaging in technical sessions on atlas products, automated cartography, and future directions. A panel discussion highlighted the need to balance traditional high standards with modern automated methods to meet growing mapping demands. The conference successfully shared past achievements and charted a path for future possibilities in atlas cartography.