Introduction to Foreign Atlases: The Soviet World Atlas

Summary

The Soviet 'World Atlas' (first published in 1954, reprinted in 1967) is an outstanding general atlas of the 1950s, characterized by its detailed representation of global settlements, administrative divisions, and transportation routes, with explicit annotation of the South China Sea islands as Chinese territory. The atlas comprises four sections—world maps, Soviet Union maps, foreign maps by continent, and polar maps—totaling 283 pages. Scales range from 1:250,000 to 1:50,000,000, with most maps using the conformal conic projection for accuracy. Relief is depicted through contour lines and hypsometric tinting, accompanied by an index of over 200,000 place names. This atlas served as a vital reference for scientific research, economic development, and education, reflecting the pinnacle of cartographic data and technology of its time.