Uzbekistan乌兹别克斯坦
Curatorial Note
AI-curated draftThe cartographic tradition of Uzbekistan, as reflected in this collection of five national atlases spanning 1963 to 2020, traces its origins to the Soviet era, when the republic was a constituent part of the USSR. The earliest volume, the Atlas of the Uzbek SSR (1963), compiled under the direction of Professor L. Babushkin, contained 50 maps with explanatory texts, covering physical geography, relief, geology, and climate. This was followed by a two-part series in 1982 and 1985, produced by the Main Administration of Geodesy and Cartography, which expanded the thematic scope and established a systematic approach to regional mapping. After independence in 1991, the tradition was reinvented with the National Atlas of Uzbekistan, published in two volumes in 2020 by the Cadastre Agency under the State Tax Committee. These modern volumes reflect a shift in content, structure, and purpose, responding to the country's changed geopolitical context and national identity. The collection demonstrates a continuity of cartographic practice from Soviet-era regional atlases to a sovereign national atlas, marking both a scientific and political evolution. The 1963 atlas was noted in contemporary reviews for its comprehensive physical-geographic coverage, while later scholarship highlighted the deliberate reorientation of the national atlas toward the needs of an independent state. Together, these works stand as a testament to Uzbekistan's enduring commitment to mapping its territory, resources, and people across six decades of profound political change.
The Shelves
National Atlas of Uzbekistan: Volume I
2020 · O'zbekiston Respublikasi davlat soliq qo'mitasi huzuridagi kadastr agentligi
O'zbekiston Milliy Atlasi: II jild
2020 · O'zbekiston Respublikasi davlat soliq qo'mitasi huzuridagi kadastr agentligi
Contemporary and Later Comment
- Review1964Recenzje: Atlas Uzbekskoj Sowietskoj Socjalisticzeskoj Respubliki
This is a review of the Atlas of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, published in 1963. Compiled under the direction of Professor L. Babushkin, the atlas contains 50 maps with explanatory texts, covering physical geography: administration, relief, geology, tectonics, hydrography, climate, soils, vegetation, and zoogeography. The climatic and biogeographic sections are particularly detailed. The reviewer finds the atlas highly valuable for Polish readers, well edited, but notes the absence of a socio-economic section, which prevents it from being a fully comprehensive national atlas.
- Article1964Atlas of the Uzbek SSR
И. С. Брыковская
This article consists of two book reviews. The first reviews the Atlas of Natural Conditions of the Uzbek SSR, noting its 53 pages of physical-geographic maps covering relief, geology, climate, vegetation, and fauna. It praises original maps showing regional specifics, such as loess subsidence, artesian basins, and cotton-related agroclimatic conditions, but criticizes the lack of supplementary charts, insufficient attention to economic significance and environmental conservation, and editorial inconsistencies. The second reviews The Cartographer's Handbook, published in 1964, describing it as the first systematic reference of its kind, sequentially covering all map-production processes and serving as a practical guide for cartographers.
- Article2013On the structure, content, and purpose of the National Atlas of Uzbekistan.
Т. М. Мирзалиев; Э. Ю. Сафаров; А. Эгамбердиев; Ш. М. Пренов; О. Абдрахман; Г. Чидербаева
This article discusses the development of the National Atlas of Uzbekistan, focusing on its content, structure, and purpose. The authors argue that the country's independence and changed geopolitical position, along with socioeconomic transformation, created an urgent need for a comprehensive cartographic representation of the nation. The paper reviews earlier atlases of Uzbekistan and the accumulated cartographic experience, then presents the concept, goals, and key principles of the new atlas, emphasizing integrity, complexity, systematicity, historicity, and dynamism. The atlas consists of two volumes with more than 20 sections and about 400 maps: the first volume covers natural conditions, resources, and ecology, while the second covers population, economy, culture, and history. As a fundamental geographic reference, the atlas supports government administration, scientific research, education, and planning across economic sectors, contributing to sustainable development, rational resource use, and attracting foreign investment.
From the Physical Collection
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