La Commission des atlas nationaux de l’Union géographique internationale

Summary

From the presentation given to the National Committee of Geography on March 14, 1959 by O. TULIPPE At the last International Geographical Congress, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1956, the International Geographical Union (I.G.U.), in accordance with tradition, proceeded to create—or renew—a certain number of commissions. These, as is known, have their activity in principle limited to the period between two successive congresses; they are tasked with studying specific problems and preparing on these matters a general report to be presented at the next International Congress, that of Stockholm, in 1960. Among the new creations made by the I.G.U. in Rio de Janeiro in 1956 was that of the Commission on National Atlases. This decision by the I.G.U. followed the impact produced at the Rio de Janeiro Congress by a number of presentations—including that of the undersigned—on the problem of National Atlases, emphasizing on the one hand their importance and value as a scientific tool first and foremost, but also as a basic document for the rational planning and development of national territories; on the other hand, the necessity and urgency of international coordination in terms of the technical methods for producing national atlases. In accordance with custom, five full members were designated to serve on the said commission, namely: Dr. C.P. Barnes, Chairman of the "Commission on a National Atlas of the United States" (U.S.A.); Professor S.P. Chatterjee, Director of the "National Atlas Organization of India" (India); Professor C. Leszczycki, Director of the Geographical Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland); Professor K.A. Salichtchev, Director of the Cartography Section of the Faculty of Geography at the University of Moscow (U.S.S.R.); and Dr. E.C. Willats, Senior Research Officer at the Ministry of Housing (England). The chairmanship of this Commission was entrusted to Professor K.A. Salichtchev. In addition, four corresponding members were attached to the Commission, namely: Mr. I. du Jonchay, Director of the Atlas Larousse (France), Professor A. Libault, Director of the National Atlas (France), Dr. N.L. Nicholson, Director of the Geographical Department of the Ministry of Mines and Survey (Canada), and the undersigned, in his dual capacity as Secretary of the National Committee of Geography—which publishes the Atlas of Belgium—and as Special Commissioner to the National Survey Service—which publishes the Atlas of the National Survey. In order to take stock of the information and suggestions requested from the various members, the Commission held its first plenary meeting in Moscow and Leningrad from August 11 to 20, 1958, under the direction of its Chairman, Professor K.A. Salichtchev. Present were all the full members and corresponding members. Also participating in this meeting were: the President of the I.G.U., Professor H. Ahlmann, as well as a number of geographers and cartographers, invited by the Chairman of the Commission and coming from Sweden, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, East Germany, North Korea, Mongolia, and Hungary, and an imposing Soviet delegation composed of members of the Faculty of Geography at the University of Moscow, the Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, the National Committee of Geography, and the Institute of Geography of the Academy of Sciences, a delegation led by Professor-Academician I.