The National Physical Atlas of China

Summary

The National Physical Atlas of China (NPAC), published in 1999, is a large-format comprehensive scientific reference atlas representing a landmark achievement in Chinese thematic cartography. This paper introduces the atlas’s compilation background, design philosophy, main innovations, and scientific significance. The NPAC systematically integrates century-long geo-science, biological, and environmental data—particularly those accumulated since the founding of the People’s Republic of China—and presents them through 540 maps, 115 charts and photos, and nearly 300,000 words of explanatory text, organized into five sections (preface maps, physical environment, natural resources, natural disasters, natural utilization and reservation) and 18 thematic groups. For the first time in China, a large comprehensive national atlas was produced entirely through digital computer-aided design, compilation, and automatic plate-making, marking a revolutionary shift from conventional cartography. The atlas embodies five key innovations: (1) spatial and temporal extension and updating of basic scientific data; (2) a strong focus on sustainable development, highlighting resources, disasters, and nature conservation; (3) extensive mapping of plant and animal distributions to reflect biodiversity; (4) inclusion of new topics from emerging disciplines to reveal environmental formation and evolution; and (5) a full digital workflow. Internationally, the NPAC is recognized as the first standalone national physical atlas in the world with such broad scientific scope and detailed coverage, earning acclaim from the International Cartographic Association as a model for other nations. The atlas provides a critical scientific basis for resource management, ecological protection, disaster mitigation, and sustainable development planning in China, and contributes foundational data to the construction of a digital Earth. Ongoing work aims to develop an electronic version with dynamic and three-dimensional visualization and analytical functions, further extending its societal benefits.