Sri Lanka斯里兰卡

Curatorial Note

The cartographic tradition of Sri Lanka, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, is deeply rooted in its colonial and post-independence history. The three national atlases in this collection, spanning from 1988 to 2007, reflect the country's evolving efforts to document its geography, resources, and socio-economic landscape. The first, published in 1988, marked a milestone as a comprehensive national reference, compiled by state institutions to consolidate spatial knowledge after decades of independence. The 1997 volume, titled after its compiler, Arjuna, represents a more independent, commercially driven initiative, offering a distinct perspective with detailed thematic maps. The most recent, issued in 2007 by the Survey Department of Sri Lanka, reaffirmed the state's role in maintaining authoritative cartographic records, incorporating modern surveying techniques and updated data. Together, these atlases illustrate a shift from state monopoly to a mix of public and private efforts, while consistently serving as essential tools for planning, education, and national identity. Their legacy lies in providing a continuous, albeit sporadic, record of Sri Lanka's changing terrain and human geography, and they remain key references for researchers and policymakers alike.