Project “Atlas of the Federal Republic of Germany”

Summary

This paper introduces the design and implementation of the Atlas of the Federal Republic of Germany project. Initiated in 1990 after German reunification and managed by the Institute of Regional Geography in Leipzig, the project aims to provide comprehensive national geographic information to a broad audience, including government, science, commerce, politics, families, and schools, through both printed and electronic editions. The printed edition employs a multimedia approach with approximately 50% maps, 25% graphics, and 25% text, spanning twelve volumes of about 150 pages each. The electronic edition comprises a View-only Module and an Interactive Module. The former, programmed in HTML and JavaScript, offers rich multimedia content, while the latter enables users to interactively manipulate maps, adjusting styles and data classifications. The paper also discusses technical specifications, system requirements, and future plans, including expanding the geometric database, adding analytical functions, and enabling Internet-based updates. This project represents an innovative contribution to multimedia cartography and serves as a reference for other national atlases.