Nasjonalatlas

Summary

This article reviews the development, purposes, and publication formats of modern national atlases and uses international experience to formulate recommendations for a future Norwegian national atlas. National atlases are conceived as comprehensive collections of predominantly thematic maps describing a country’s natural and cultural conditions; beyond research and education, they can provide essential evidence for rational national planning. Drawing on comparisons among more than twenty atlases, including those of Finland, Sweden, Britain, France, Canada, and several smaller European states, the study examines page dimensions, map scales, binding systems, publication schedules, and explanatory texts. It shows that territorial size and shape strongly determine cartographic design. Small countries can generally be represented at relatively large scales, whereas elongated countries require subdivision, page rotation, or reduced scales. Modern reproduction methods nevertheless allow smaller-scale maps to convey increasingly nuanced information. Loose-leaf publication over several years offers a major advantage over a single bound volume because stable physical-geographical sheets can appear early while cultural and demographic maps can incorporate recent statistics; this flexibility is particularly valuable for planning, although secure storage and organization remain necessary. The article also emphasizes that source documentation, contributor credits, interpretive commentary, illustrations, and multilingual explanations substantially increase scientific and international utility. Because Norway lacks both national and regional atlases and has an unusually elongated form, the author recommends drawing chiefly on Swedish, Finnish, and British practice: a principal scale of 1:2,000,000, supplemented by divided maps at 1:1,500,000 and whole-country maps at 1:3,000,000. Norway should prioritize a national atlas and begin production once financing is secured.