Atlas of Venezuela

The Mapping Situation in Venezuela: Past and Present

Unknown · 1982

This paper provides an overview of the past and present state of cartography in Venezuela, focusing on official general land maps and national atlases. Drawing on the author's stay in Venezuela from 1978 to 1980 and a review of relevant literature, it traces the evolution of mapping from the colonial era to the late 1970s. During the colonial period, maps were produced by European explorers such as Juan de la Cosa, Guiljelmus Blaeuw, and Alexander von Humboldt. After independence in 1830, systematic national mapping began. A key milestone was the compilation of the "Atlas Físico y Político de la República de Venezuela" by the Italian geographer Agustín Codazzi in 1840, which served as a foundational reference for decades. Government-led systematic mapping started in 1904 with the creation of the Military Map Commission, which initiated plans for series at scales of 1:1,000,000, 1:250,000 and 1:50,000. In 1937, the National Cartography Office merged with the Aerial Photography Service to form the Dirección de Cartografía Nacional, the central mapping agency. Geodetic control networks, leveling, and aerial photo coverage expanded substantially; by 1975, first-order triangulation covered 70% of the country and aerial photos covered 85%. Topographic mapping at 1:25,000 using aerial photogrammetry began in 1938 and covered about 60% of the territory by 1975. The 1:100,000 topographic map was compiled from these sheets, but national coverage remained incomplete. To fill gaps in unmapped southern regions, radar imagery and LANDSAT data were employed. National atlases were published in 1969 and, in a considerably expanded second edition, in 1979. The study concludes that Venezuelan cartography successfully transitioned from reliance on European explorers to dedicated national institutions, yet complete basic map coverage had still not been achieved, and the absence of a cartographic society limited professional exchange and discussion.