The ICA National Atlas Commission - early history (1987-2007)

Summary

This article reviews the early history of the ICA Commission on National Atlases from 1987 to 2007. The commission was established in 1987 at the ICA General Assembly in Morelia, Mexico, following a proposal by the Swedish Cartographic Society supported by the Dutch Cartographic Society, with Bengt Rystedt from the National Land Survey of Sweden as its first chair. The commission aimed to promote the production of national atlases, particularly through new techniques. Its terms of reference included: serving as an information source for ICA member countries producing national atlases, identifying technical facilities and their current use, identifying gaps in new techniques, encouraging further development, and presenting reports. Over time, the terms were extended to include national atlas information systems, electronic and PC atlases, and regional atlases. In 1995, Timothy Trainor took over the chairmanship, serving until 2007. The article also traces the commission's prehistory, including the IGU Commission on National (and Regional) Atlases chaired by Professor K. A. Salishchev from 1956 to 1972, and subsequent joint IGU-ICA working groups. The commission held numerous international meetings (e.g., the first in Kiruna, Sweden, in 1989, and later in Beijing, Leipzig, Madrid, etc.) that fostered academic exchange and technological progress. In electronic atlases, Richard Smith presented the Electronic Atlas of Arkansas in 1987, followed by the Canadian Electronic Atlas. After 1995, the focus shifted to web atlases, emphasizing the promotion of design, production, and use, as well as developing new tools. After 2007, the commission was chaired by Peter Jordan and René Sieber, but this article focuses on the early period.