Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
introduced to denote
. In the fields of geoscience, the term atlas
should be used exclusively for group D (
topics with maps
'
'
true atlases
) of above-mentioned
'
'
classification.
Traditional atlases, such as topics, are bound publications and, therefore, have a
fixed linear structure. Topics are developed linearly throughout the publication. The
maps are developed according to a fixed format, limited to the size of the page.
Alonso (
1968
) notes that atlas cannot be considered to be a topic. He stress-es that
atlas is not any topic consisting mainly of maps (as laymen assume). Technically to
the geographer, no collection of maps deserves the name unless it is comprehensive
in its field, systematically arranged, authoritatively edited and presented in a unified
format. Atlases are collections of maps of regions, countries, continents, or the
world. Maps in atlases are accurate only to a degree and can be used for general
information only.
Maps have existed throughout the human history and their evolution can be
reviewed from different viewpoints. According to Keates (
1989
) the use of maps in
atlases is very flexible. Many of them provide useful inputs for further research in
information-spatial disposition (Tucek et al.
2009
; Dvorsky et al.
2009
). Atlases can
be classified by several aspects. Ormeling (
1995
) classified traditional atlases in
regarding to their contents with respect to: geographical atlases, historical, national/
regional, topographic and thematic atlases. Considering communication purposes,
the following types of atlases that could be identified are educational, navigational,
physical planning, reference, and management/monitoring. Further-more, Borchert
(
1999
) stated that different categories of atlases can be distinguished according to
format, geographical coverage, thematic content, information level, purpose, pub-
lisher, quality and price. Vozenilek in Mikul
´
k et al. (
2008
) distinguishes atlases
according to territorial extent (national, regional, municipal), user groups (school,
public, scientific) and thematic aiming (geological, climatic, forestry, economic
etc.).
In addition to traditional topic atlases, modern cartography develops digital
atlases that offer different representations as the user may experiment with colours,
map types, and classification parameters. Both traditional and digital atlases also
complement each other with supplementary data, which adds a new element to
both, providing modified structural possibilities. Peterson (
1998
) made research in
aspects of digital atlases—their evolution, interactivity, formats, tools etc.
Prerequisites for the Compilation of Thematic Atlas
Each compiled thematic atlas is determined by expertise and marketing limits. The
intent of the atlas also takes into account the group of potential users, their literacy
and experience in the theme. In order to take into account all the facts, the
cartographer compiles a cartographic project of the atlas in cooperation with the
thematician.
