Belgium

This article presents the rationale, international context, organization, and planned contents of the Belgian National Atlas. Unlike conventional “dictionary atlases,” which primarily compile boundaries, relief, hydrography, settlements, and transport networks, a national atlas should offer a systematic and explanatory account of a country’s physical, human, and economic geography. It thus serves not only as a fundamental research tool for geographers, but also as a reliable source for public administration, infrastructure planning, agriculture, reconstruction, industry, and commerce, while promoting informed understanding of the country abroad. After reviewing precedents in Canada, Finland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Italy, the Soviet Union, France, Estonia, Switzerland, Denmark, and Britain, the article traces the Belgian project from the establishment of the Belgian National Committee of Geography through proposals formulated in 1932 and 1937, wartime interruption, and the creation of a dedicated Atlas Commission in 1946. This commission defines each map’s subject and treatment, recruits specialists, evaluates drafts, and submits final versions to the Committee for approval; individual authors retain immediate responsibility for signed maps. The projected folio atlas, largely mapped at 1:500,000, comprises forty-nine thematic plates covering cartography and geophysics, geology and morphology, climatology, hydrography, coastal and marine geography, biogeography, human geography, agriculture and forestry, industry, commerce, regional geography, and political geography. With multilingual national representation, technical production entrusted to the Military Geographical Institute, and state funding, the project is presented as a scientifically authoritative and practically valuable national undertaking, with initial plates expected in 1947.

This article introduces the Atlas of Belgium, a national geographical atlas planned before the Second World War and revived after the liberation by the Belgian National Committee of Geography. A dedicated commission coordinates map themes, selects specialists, evaluates drafts, determines production methods, and ensures visual consistency, while authors retain responsibility for individual maps. The atlas will comprise about fifty plates covering physical, human, economic, regional, and political geography. Most plates feature a 1:500,000 map with bilingual commentary, and technical production is entrusted to the Military Geographical Institute. Several plates have already appeared, with further geological and climatological maps nearing completion. Supported by the Ministry of Public Instruction, the project aims to publish six to eight plates annually, providing Belgium with a coherent, authoritative, and technically refined national cartographic reference.

The National Atlas of Belgium is a systematic and comprehensive exposition of the country's scientific geography. Unlike ordinary atlases that offer a synthetic representation of key facts, it provides an in-depth analysis of geographical phenomena, serving as an invaluable tool for geographers and professionals requiring knowledge of Belgium's physical, human, and economic environment. Initiated by the National Committee of Geography, the project underwent lengthy preparation and was planned to include 52 plates covering physical geography, biogeography, human geography, economic geography, regional geography, and administration, supplemented by explanatory notes and aerial photographs. Despite challenges such as reduced government funding, the project is over half complete thanks to collaborative efforts, and accompanying commentaries are underway, aiming to equip Belgium with the most modern geographical documentation.

Writing as the head of Belgium’s National Survey Bureau, the author recounts the early compilation and publication of the Atlas du Survey National. The bureau collected existing maps and mapped statistical data for national planning, assembling a single-copy manuscript Atlas général du Royaume containing some 300 cartographic documents. According to the author, staff departures and recruitment restrictions reduced the bureau to two economists, one geographer and one draughtsman after 1952, considerably slowing production. The published survey atlas was intended to circulate selected documents more widely. Its selection took account of the Atlas de Belgique, whose sheets served as basic survey documents and were not duplicated. The author reports that publication began in late 1954 and that, when distribution started in February 1956, the survey atlas contained 30 sheets, almost all concerning population. These supplemented sheets 21–26 of the Atlas de Belgique with material on population change, age structure, natural and migratory movements, employment and labour catchment areas. Sheets on recreation, nature protection and reserves were planned for 1956. This account concerns the initial publication stage, not the later linked volumes.

This article presents the background, organizational framework, compilation plan, and publication progress of the Atlas of Belgium. It first distinguishes national atlases from dictionary-type atlases, emphasizing their role as systematic scientific tools for presenting a country's geographical knowledge. The article details the project's development since 1932 under the National Committee of Geography, including the establishment of the Atlas Commission in 1946. It provides the complete plan of the atlas, covering eight major sections—physical geography, biogeography, human geography, economic geography, regional geography, and administration—totaling over fifty plates. Technical specifications such as format, scales, and multilingual presentation are described. The publication status is reported: approximately thirty plates have been printed by the Military Geographical Institute since 1948, with subscription details provided. The author concludes by highlighting the atlas's contributions to advancing geographical research in Belgium, fostering international academic exchange, and enhancing national education.

This article presents the background, content, and publication of the Atlas du Survey National, a national atlas of Belgium. Originating from a 1947 proposal by the National Planning Commission to provide a scientific basis for future national land-use planning, the atlas was compiled by the National Survey Service, established in 1949 within the Administration of Urbanism. Based on the administrative map of Belgium, the atlas covers twenty thematic categories including climate, orography, population, agriculture, industry, transport, tourism, and housing. By 1957, sixty colored plates had been published, each accompanied by explanatory notes. The article also discusses the atlas's distribution, related studies, and acknowledgments. This publication placed Belgium among the few countries possessing such a national atlas.

This article, written by Professor O. Tulippe of the University of Liège, systematically presents two national atlases being compiled in Belgium: the "Atlas de Belgique" and the "Atlas du Survey National". The Atlas de Belgique, published by the National Committee of Geography, belongs to the series of national atlases and differs fundamentally from dictionary-style atlases (such as Stieler, Bartholomew, etc.). A national atlas is not a simple accumulation of geographic information but a systematic and complete scientific exposition of a country's geography, analyzing each geographical phenomenon in detail and methodically. It is explanatory in nature and serves as an essential basic scientific tool for geographers. It also acts as an infallible test of the development level of scientific geography in the publishing country and the attention it receives from the educated public. It provides useful and reliable documentation for scientists, teachers, businessmen, officials, and military personnel, and serves as an excellent ambassador and propaganda agent abroad, as well as helping compatriots understand their own country. Internationally, many countries have published or are publishing their national atlases, such as Canada (1906), Finland (1925-1928), and others. The International Geographical Congress in Rio de Janeiro in 1956 established a Commission on National Atlases. Belgian geographers began working on this early on, with the National Committee of Geography making it a primary concern. After preliminary studies, a detailed plan of about fifty plates was adopted in 1938, and a permanent commission was established in 1946 to execute it. The article details the plan of the Atlas de Belgique, covering six major sections: Belgium in Europe, Cartography and Geophysics, Physical Geography, Biogeography, Human Geography, and Economic Geography, noting the authors and publication status of each plate. The second part introduces the Atlas du Survey National, published by the Administration of Urbanism of the Ministry of Public Works and Reconstruction. Based on the Atlas de Belgique, it aims to provide detailed documentation directly useful for spatial planning. Since late 1954, 60 plates have been published, covering topics such as population movements, age structure, active population and commuting, unemployment, tourism, protection of landscapes and monuments, housing, and urban equipment. Most plates are at a scale of 1:1,000,000 on a municipal base map. The article concludes by noting the complementary nature of the two atlases and plans for a commentary on the Survey National Atlas, with preliminary studies already published in the Cahiers d'Urbanisme.

This article presents the Atlas of the National Survey (Atlas du Survey National), published by the Administration of Urban Planning of the Ministry of Public Works as a preparatory survey for Belgian territorial planning. The author, serving as Special Commissioner for the National Survey, explains the atlas's objectives, methodology, and its complementary relationship with the Atlas of Belgium. Since its inception in 1954, the atlas has comprised 60 colored plates at a scale of 1:1,000,000, mostly based on municipal maps, accompanied by explanatory notes and commentaries. The article also describes the acquisition procedure and ongoing negotiations with the Ministry of Education for distributing copies to educational institutions.

This article presents the organizational framework, compilation plan, and scholarly significance of the National Atlas of Belgium. Led by the Belgian National Committee of Geography, the atlas systematically depicts the country's physical, human, and economic geography through approximately fifty thematic plates covering topography, geology, climate, population, agriculture, industry, and transportation. Each plate is accompanied by technical notes, and explanatory commentaries are published separately, forming a comprehensive geographical encyclopedia. The article emphasizes that the atlas serves not only as a fundamental tool for geographical research but also as a valuable reference for public administration, business decisions, and international cultural exchange, while enhancing national awareness of the country's geographical environment.

This article presents the background, content, and publication of the Atlas of the National Survey (Atlas du Survey National) of Belgium. Originating from a proposal by the National Planning Commission in 1947, the atlas was conceived to systematically collect, integrate, and map fundamental data on the Belgian territory, thereby providing a scientific basis for spatial planning and urban development. Compiled by the National Survey Service under the Administration of Urbanism, the atlas covers twenty thematic categories, including climate, orography, hydrography, soils, population, agriculture, industry, transport, tourism, and nature protection, with 73 plates published to date. The article emphasizes that the atlas complements the Atlas of Belgium, combining static distribution maps with analyses of recent evolution, and employing standardized scales and cartographic conventions to serve as a valuable reference for planning decisions at national, regional, and local levels.

This article reviews four newly published plates (Nos. 23, 25, 26, and 29; 1959-1962) of the National Atlas of Belgium, prepared and annotated by Professor Tulippe of the University of Liège. Plate 23 presents population density by municipality for 1846, 1880, 1900, and 1930 across four maps, revealing the evolution of Belgian population distribution since the 19th century—notably the concentration along the Haine-Sambre-Meuse industrial axis, the disintegration of the formerly compact high-density zone in interior Flanders, and the strengthening of densities in the Ghent-Antwerp-Brussels triangle, described as the "true demographic center of gravity of Belgium." Plates 25 and 26 map birth rates (1880, 1910, 1930, 1947), death rates (1880, 1947), and foreign population (1910, 1947) by municipality, with substantial commentary illuminating the complexity of Belgian demographic phenomena and nuancing the simplistic view of an expanding Flanders versus a declining Wallonia. Plate 29 depicts forest distribution in 1951 with an inset showing forest area at the end of the 18th century based on the Ferraris map, offering an excellent human and economic geography perspective on Belgian forests. The nearly complete National Atlas of Belgium deserves high praise and serves as a model achievement by Belgian geographers.

The Belgian National Atlas, after eighteen years of dedicated work by geographers from four universities, is nearing completion, with ten additional maps required before publication, ultimately comprising sixty-three maps. Initiated by the Belgian National Committee of Geography, it receives support from the Belgian Government. A new air link has been established between Ethiopia and India, with Air India services now stopping at Entebbe and Addis Ababa weekly on flights between Bombay and Nairobi. In a letter to the editor, a correspondent responds to remarks by 'Geography Graduate' in the November issue of The Geographical Magazine, arguing that knowledge is a continuum and geography uniquely bridges the physical and psycho-social realms, between Science and Arts. The author emphasizes geography's status as an academic discipline with empirical and inductive traditions, enriched by statistical methods enabling objective reasoning and quantification. Additionally, for the first time since the International Geographical Union's founding in 1871, its meetings will be held in an Asian country, following the Indian Government's invitation accepted by President S. P. Chatterjee, with arrangements underway for the International Geographical Association meetings in India.

This article reviews the compilation characteristics and content structures of national atlases of Belgium, Canada, and the United States. The Atlas de Belgique (compiled 1947-1972), published in loose-leaf format in 6° size, includes maps of natural conditions and socio-economic aspects, with particularly detailed geological, forest, and population distribution maps. Economic maps combine dot and choropleth methods, accompanied by extensive annotations. The National Atlas of Canada (4th edition, 1974), published by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, contains 254 map pages at various scales, including satellite imagery, covering physical geography, population, economy, and historical evolution, primarily based on statistical data. The National Atlas of the United States (1970), compiled by the Geological Survey with 84 cooperating agencies, completes the review. All three atlases reflect distinctive national geographic characteristics and representative compilation methods, serving as important references for regional planning and resource development.

This article presents the background, content, and significance of the Second Atlas of Belgium. Initiated by the Belgian National Committee of Geography, this project aims to update and expand upon the first atlas published between 1950 and 1972. The second edition plans 94 plates covering physical geography, population, economy, and transport, introducing innovations such as the 1:250,000 scale. Despite budgetary constraints, the project benefits from voluntary collaboration among university geographers and new technologies like automated cartography. The atlas serves domestic education, research, and administration while enhancing Belgium's international visibility.

This article reviews the development of the National Atlas of Belgium, focusing on the background, content, and innovations of the Third Atlas of Belgium. It points out that the previous two editions suffered from long production times, high costs, and outdated data. Based on the 2001 socio-economic survey, the third atlas covers six themes: political geography, landscape and agriculture, cities, housing, economic activities, and population, utilizing computer cartography for improved timeliness and flexibility. Additionally, a web atlas was developed to supplement and update the printed version. This atlas serves as a vital reference for geography education, policy-making, and public understanding of Belgium's spatial structures.