Introduction to the Foreign Atlas: "Atlas of Poland"

This review examines the compilation features and academic value of the national atlases of Poland and Czechoslovakia in the mid-20th century. The Polish atlas (published 1953-1956) systematically presents natural conditions at a main scale of 1:2,000,000, along with demographic and economic data, aiming to support long-term national development planning. The Czechoslovak atlas (first edition 1935, revised 1962-1966) employs a standard parallel at 49°N for its elongated territory, comprising 55 maps covering natural, historical, demographic, and economic themes, with multilingual legends and detailed explanatory notes. Both atlases reflect contemporary cartographic techniques and serve as scientific references and planning tools.