Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 5 Modern statistical atlases published by the Swiss FSO
Atlas
Year
Format
Structural Atlas of Switzerland (census atlases)
1985, 1997, 2006
Print
Swiss Atlas of Population and Age
1998
Print
Swiss Atlas of Women and Equality
2001
Print
Statistical Atlas of Switzerland (yearbook)
2003-2007
CD-ROM/DVD
Political Atlas of Switzerland
2004
CD-ROM/DVD
Swiss Atlas of the Population above 50
2005
Online
Swiss Atlas of Women and Equality
2005
Online
Statistical Atlas of European Regions
a
2006-2009
Online/DVD
Atlas of National Council Elections
a
2007, 2011
Online/DVD
Statistical Atlas of Switzerland
a
2009-
Online/DVD/USB/pad
Political Atlas of Switzerland
a
2010-
Online/DVD/USB/pad
Statistical Atlas of Swiss Cities
a
2013- Online/DVD
a
Atlases based on an Atlas Content Management System (Platform Statatlas)
census in 1850) and a chapter on
Spatial Nomenclatures
in Switzerland (24 chapters
in total). In this last chapter, users can view the various geographical levels (and
their changes in time) used as reference areas for statistical analyses. An
implemented service offers downloads for these overview maps and the nomencla-
tures behind. With four navigation steps, the atlas contains currently approximately
580 themes. Data in the atlas comes from primary statistical sources, mainly from
within FSO, but also from Eurostat and for some projects from other federal and
cantonal institutions. Data is usually made available on the lowest possible regional
level. In general, the political communes (municipalities) form the basis for most
maps; however, for single subjects this can vary strongly, as some data are available
only on district, cantonal or even national level (e.g. health or income data).
Analytical and regional-political divisions are also used for various maps. For a
smaller part of the themes, e.g. data from the big censuses or land use statistics, also
grid maps and other geometric polygons are conceivable and are being integrated
into the atlas. The atlas, which is available in German and French, is—like all
statistical publications—free of charge for the individual user. Address:
www.
statatlas-switzerland.admin.ch
(Fig.
5
).
Statistical Atlases of Other European Countries
In his “Census Mapping Survey” Nag (
1984
) gives an exhaustive and contemporary
overview of the use of maps and atlases in statistical offices just before the start of
the digital era. Twenty-one years later, van Elzakker et al. (
2005
) studied the
cartographic offer again and looked at the distribution of maps by 126 NSIs
worldwide—esp. at online maps. According to their findings, the websites of
