Switzerland

The Atlas of Switzerland grew from proposals discussed in the early 1940s and an initiative of the Federation of Swiss Geographical Societies. Federal funding was approved in 1961, and publication began in 1965 under Eduard Imhof and Heinrich Gutersohn, with scientific-cartographic preparation at ETH Zurich and reproduction and publication by the Swiss topographic survey authority. Issued as loose sheets with German, French, and Italian commentaries, it mapped terrain, climate, water, vegetation, population, settlements, and economic activities. The ninth installment completed the work in 1978; continued updating received federal approval. The print record spans 1965–1997. Interactive software followed in 2000, combining statistical maps with three-dimensional terrain visualization. The 2004 release expanded statistics and nature-and-environment coverage; the 2010 DVD added transport, energy, and communication themes and further comparison and visualization tools. Internet atlas development was documented in 1999, while a 2016 account described an online-oriented virtual-globe redesign. The web publication record spans 1999–2026.