Slovakia斯洛伐克

Curatorial Note

The national atlas tradition of Slovakia is rooted in the 20th-century practice of state-sponsored cartography, particularly during the era of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. The first atlas in this collection, *Atlas of the Slovak Socialist Republic* (1980), was a collaborative effort by the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the state geodesy and cartography office, reflecting the period's emphasis on comprehensive, thematic mapping for planning and education. After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the newly independent Slovakia continued this legacy with the *Atlas krajiny Slovenskej republiky* (2002), later issued in an English edition as the *Landscape Atlas of the Slovak Republic* (2002). This later work represents a shift toward environmental and landscape-focused cartography, integrating modern GIS data and interdisciplinary approaches. The 1980 atlas is notable for its systematic coverage of physical and human geography, while the 2002 editions stand out for their detailed analysis of landscape structure, land use, and ecological conditions. Together, these three atlases document the evolution of Slovak national identity through cartography—from a socialist-era regional survey to a post-socialist, internationally accessible reference. They remain foundational references for researchers, planners, and educators, and they illustrate how national atlases adapt to political and technological changes while preserving a country's spatial narrative.