Registro de mapas temáticos: Atlas de la República de Chile

Summary

This paper reviews the Atlas of the Republic of Chile, published by the Military Geographic Institute of Chile in 1966. The atlas, a collaborative effort between the institute's technical staff and scholars from the University of Chile, aims to employ cartography to comprehensively depict the geographic reality of Chilean territory. It is organized into three parts: the first presents background materials including astronomical maps and the political map of Chile; the second comprises 14 physical maps of Chile at 1:1,000,000 scale, using a modified polyconic projection and supplemented with photographs; the third contains 15 thematic maps at 1:4,530,000 scale covering physical, demographic, and economic aspects. While acknowledging the atlas's overall value, the author identifies several shortcomings, such as the absence of historical maps in the background section, the lack of a regional division map, the omission of a vegetation map, the improper sequencing of geological and geomorphological maps, and unclear classification in population density symbols. The author concludes by expressing hope that the institute will continue its efforts to produce an even more refined National Atlas of Chile in the near future.