Compilation of typological maps based on materials from national atlases (on the example of the National Atlas of Cuba)

Summary

This paper examines the potential of national complex atlases as a foundation for subsequent thematic and typological cartography, using the development of a map of “Agricultural Production Types of Land” for the Matanzas Province of Cuba as a case study. The primary data source is the National Atlas of Cuba (1970), created under USSR–Cuba scientific cooperation. The method involved a multi-stage analysis and synthesis of the atlas’s natural and socio-economic maps. Working tracings were first compiled from geomorphological, soil, and hydrogeological maps to delineate relief types, karst distribution, predominant soil series, and groundwater characteristics. In parallel, economic maps of agriculture, the sugar industry, transport, and water management were analyzed to identify leading agricultural branches, crop area distributions, sugar central locations, and melioration prospects. By sequentially overlaying all derived tracings and cross-referencing natural potential with economic trends, a comprehensive typological map at 1:750,000 scale was produced. The resulting map identifies five major agricultural production types—sugar cane; fruits, root crops, and vegetables; fiber crops; rice; and livestock—further subdivided into thirteen subtypes. The detailed legend integrates for each subtype the characteristic relief, karst forms, groundwater availability and quality, genetic soil groups, and key agronomic properties. The map also highlights lands currently unused but suitable for future agricultural development with melioration. The study demonstrates that systematic exploitation of national atlas materials enables scientifically grounded typological mapping, offering valuable forecasts for optimizing land use and advancing system-structural approaches in geography. The approach is particularly relevant for tropical regions, where combining multi-thematic atlas data reveals fine-scale spatial patterns of agricultural suitability and production structure.