National atlases and the ways of their creation

Summary

This article examines the concept of national atlases and the various approaches to their compilation across different countries. It traces the origin of the term "national atlas," clarifying its relationship with the broader concept of "complex atlas," and reviews the evolution from I.K. Kirilov's initial idea in 18th-century Russia to early practical implementations in Finland, Egypt, France, and other nations. The author focuses on the 1958 plenary session of the Commission on National Atlases under the International Geographical Union, held in Moscow and Leningrad, and identifies three main models of atlas compilation: the state-centralized planning model exemplified by the Soviet Union, the government-agency-led model seen in Belgium, and the decentralized voluntary cooperation model adopted in the United States. The article concludes that national atlases hold significant practical and scientific value for natural resource assessment and economic planning, and that different compilation approaches reflect national circumstances, with the Soviet model demonstrating notable advantages in systematic coordination.