Atlas of the Netherlands
Atlas van Nederland
Netherlands · · 1984
Related Reviews & Articles
The Human Scope of Cartography – towards a new national atlas of the Netherlands
Marc de Smidt · 1986
This article reviews the conceptual framework and organizational practice of the second edition of the Atlas of the Netherlands (published in 20 volumes between 1984 and 1988). In response to the limitations of the first encyclopedic inventory, the new edition adopts a problem-oriented approach organized around five main themes: population and settlements, human welfare, human resources, natural resources and environment, and physical planning. Methodologically, the atlas treats cartography as a communication medium, applies graphic semiology as a grammar, and combines diverse map types with explanatory texts. The article argues that the new atlas deliberately gives cartography a human scope, focusing on major societal and planning issues rather than exhaustive resource inventories, and addresses both specialists and the general public. It also describes the collaborative production structure, involving an editorial committee, some 60 authors, a cartographic bureau and a publisher, within a strict schedule. The atlas thus represents not only an updated national spatial document but also a demonstration of the humanistic orientation of cartography and the continuing relevance of national atlases for planning and public communication.
National atlases and development
C. P. J. M. van Elzakker; N. J. Bakker; F. J. Ormeling · 1987
This article examines national atlases, their functions, contents, design requirements and role in national development, using the production of the Atlas of the Netherlands as an example. A national atlas is defined as a fundamental multi-subject geographic atlas of a country, providing a systematic summary of contemporary scientific knowledge in physical, economic and political geography. The concept emerged during the 19th-century information explosion and first materialized in Finland in 1899. The International Geographical Union's commission promoted standardization and proliferation, so that by 1978 fifty-four countries had published national atlases. National atlases serve planning and decision-making, research, education, reference and cultural representation, and are particularly valuable in developing countries for social and economic development. Indirect benefits include establishing organizational networks for geographic data, stimulating interdisciplinary cooperation, improving local cartographic skills and standards, and supporting educational publishing. The Dutch experience demonstrates how modern production addresses user needs, data compatibility, design innovation and cost constraints. Looking ahead, digital technology and telecommunications are transforming national atlases into more dynamic geographic information systems: the traditional static paper atlas may become secondary to a digital data base that allows flexible access, rapid processing and up-to-date spatial information delivered on demand. Nevertheless, hard-copy atlases will not completely disappear, given their educational and reference functions. In developing countries, traditional paper atlases remain a worthwhile option because urgent development needs can still be met through their production. Whatever the medium, experts and cartographers will continue to play an essential role in structuring and presenting spatial information so that it remains relevant, reliable and comprehensible to users of future national atlas systems.
Bosatlas van Nederland : het boek dat er moest komen : book review
B. Köbben · 2008
Fifteen years after the discontinuation of the Scientific Atlas of the Netherlands, Wolters-Noordhoff has published the Bosatlas van Nederland, a new national atlas containing about 2,400 maps in nineteen thematic chapters. This review examines the atlas’s position relative to its scientific predecessor, its content and cartographic quality. It argues that although the atlas shares the national-atlas concept, it is editorially different: external specialists serve mainly as data suppliers rather than editors. The review notes both strengths and weaknesses: rich, surprising details, but also time-bound data and some chapters that fit awkwardly into a national atlas. Overall, the atlas is praised as a beautiful and usable reference for education, and its commercial success—becoming a bestseller—suggests it is a worthy successor for a broader public.
Tags
Comments
Loading…
0/2000