Topic Selection and Structure in the National Atlas of Switzerland

The atlas team explains topic selection and hierarchical thematic organization in the current online Atlas of Switzerland, reporting approximately 160 themes at the time of writing. New categories include History and Future, Landscape and Space, and Tourism and Leisure Time; Portrait of Switzerland and Global Switzerland present characteristic features of the country. Topics draw on the project’s socio-economic context, earlier editions, other national atlases and geoportals, user activity tracking, and direct feedback. Selection is constrained by the conceptual framework, project politics and funding, technical capabilities, data availability, and visualization options. The authors plan more maps on current issues affecting people and additional flagship maps demonstrating visual and technical capabilities. They also consider location-based access and storytelling as possible alternatives to thematic menus.