Atlas

See Atlas of the world for maps in the Wikimedia Commons Atlas of the World.

See Category:Atlases for images of atlases, Category:Atlas (mythology) for the Atlas in Greek mythology, Atlas (rocket) for Atlas rockets, Atlas mountains for the Atlas mountains or Category:Human anatomy, atlas for the first cervical vertebra.

An atlas is a collection of maps, traditionally bound into book form, but also found in multimedia formats. As well as geographic features and political boundaries, many often feature geopolitical, social, religious and economic statistics. The Wikimedia Commons Atlas of the world is an organized and commented collection of geographical, political and historical maps available at Wikimedia Commons. This main page is therefore the portal to maps and cartography on Wikimedia. This page contains links to entries by country, continent and by topic.

About this page (by language)

Alemannisch: Dr Wikimedia Weltatlas isch e Sammlig vu kommentierte Charte uf Wikimedia Commons. Belgie, Dytschland, Eschtrych, Schwyz.

Català: L’Atles del Món de Wikimedia és una col·lecció de mapes físics, polítics i històrics disponibles a Wikimedia Commons.

Čeština: Wikimedia atlas světa je uspořádaná kolekce geografických, politických a dějepisných map, k dispozici na Wikimedia Commons.

Deutsch: Der Wikimedia Weltatlas ist eine Sammlung von kommentierten Karten auf Wikimedia Commons. Belgien, Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz.

English: The Wikimedia Atlas of the World is an organized and commented collection of geographical, political and historical maps available at Wikimedia Commons.

Español: El Atlas del Mundo de Wikimedia es una colección de mapas físicos, políticos e históricos disponibles en Wikimedia Commons.

Esperanto: La atlaso (maparo) estas organizita kaj komentita kolektko da geografiaj, politikaj kaj historiaj mapoj disponeblaj ĉe Wikimedia Commons.

Français: L’atlas Wikimedia du monde est une collection organisée et commentée des cartes geographiques, politiques et historiques de Wikimedia Commons.

Galego: O Atlas do Mundo da Wikimedia é unha colección organizada e comentada dos mapas xeográficos, políticos e históricos dispoñíbeis na Wikimedia Commons.

Hrvatski: Wikimedia Atlas svijeta je organizirana skupina geografskih, političkih i povijesnih karata dostupnih na Wikimedia Commonsu.

Italiano: L’atlante del mondo di Wikimedia è una collezione commentata e catalogata di carte geografiche, politiche e storiche di Wikimedia Commons.

Latina: Wikimediae Atlas Mundi est collectio tabularum historicarum, politicarum et geographicarum in Wikimedia Communibus.

Magyar: A Wikimédia - A világ atlasza egy, a Wikimedia Commons által szervezett és megjegyzésekkel ellátott gyűjtemény földrajzi, politikai és történelmi térképekkel.

Nederlands: De Wikimedia Wereldatlas is een becommentarieerde verzameling van kaarten beschikbaar in Wikimedia Commons. De toelichting in de atlaspagina's is in het Engels. Daaraan is bij Nederlandstalige entiteiten - Nederland, België (Vlaanderen en Brussel), Suriname en de voormalige Nederlandse Antillen - een Nederlandstalige toelichting toegevoegd.

Polski: Wikimedia Atlas Świata jest zorganizowaną kolekcją map geograficznych, politycznych i historycznych w Wikimedia Commons. Atlas Polska.

Português: O Atlas do Mundo da Wikimedia é uma colecção organizada e comentada dos mapas geográficos, políticos e históricos disponíveis na Wikimedia Commons.

Shqip: Atlasi i botës në Wikipedia është një përmbledhje e organizuar e hartave gjeografike, politike dhe historike të cilat gjenden në Wikimedia Commons.

Slovenčina: Wikimedia atlas sveta je usporiadaná kolekcia geografických, politických a dejepisných máp, k dispozícii na Wikimedia Commons.

Suomi: Wikimedian maailman atlas on järjestetty ja selostettu kokoelma maantieteellisiä, poliittisia ja historiallisia karttoja, jotka ovat saatavilla Wikimedia Commonsista.

Svenska: Wikimedias Världsatlas är en organiserad och kommenterad samling geografiska, politiska och historiska kartor tillgänglig på Wikimedia Commons. Sverige, Finland, Åland.

Türkçe: Wikimedia Büyük Atlas, Wikimedia Commons'taki açıklamalı haritaların (fiziki, siyasi ve tarihi), düzenli bir listesidir.

Беларуская (тарашкевіца)‎: Атляс сьвету Вікімэдыі — гэта ўпарадкаваная і пракамэнтаваная калекцыя геаграфічных, палітычных і гістарычных мапаў, даступная ў Вікісховішчы.

Македонски: Викимедииниот Aтлас на светот претставува организирана и коментирана збирка на географски, политички и историски карти кои се достапни на Заедничката ризница.

Русский: Атлас Мира Викимедия это организованная и, насколько это возможно, снабженная комментариями коллекция географических, политических и исторических карт, доступных на Викискладе. Центральная и Восточная Европа: Беларусь, Молдова, Россия, Україна.

Українська: Атлас Світу Вікімедіа це організована колекція географічних, політичних та історичних мап, доступних у ВікіСховищі.

Ελληνικά: Ο Άτλας του κόσμου της Βικιμίντια είναι μια οργανωμένη και σχολιασμένη συλλογή από γεωγραφικούς, πολιτικούς και ιστορικούς χάρτες που είναι διαθέσιμοι στα Κοινά της Βικιμίντια.

한국어: 위키미디어 세계 지도 프로젝트는 위키미디어 공용에서 이용할 수 있는 지리적, 역사적, 정치적 지도를 모으는 프로젝트입니다.

中文: 维基共享资源世界地图集是维基共享资源里一个经过组织并附带注释的有关地理、政治和历史地图的收藏集。

中文（繁體）‎: 維基共享資源世界地圖集是維基共享資源裡一個經過組織並附帶註釋的有關地理、政治和歷史地圖的收藏集。

עברית: אטלס העולם של ויקימדיה הינו אוסף של מפות פיסיות, פוליטיות, והיסטוריות הזמינים בוויקישיתוף של ויקימדיה.

العربية: ويكيميديا اطلس العالم هو مجموعة منظّمة ومعلّق عليها من الخرائط الجغرافية، التاريخية والسيّاسية متوفرة في ويكيميديا كومنز.

فارسی: اطلس جهان در ویکی‌رسانه، مجموعه‌ای بسامان از نقشه‌های گیتاشناختی، سیاسی و تاریخی دارای زیرنویس است. این نقشه‌ها در ویکی‌انبار در دسترس است.

Selected article in Wikipedia

The Stielers Handatlas (after Adolf Stieler, 1775-1836), formally titled "Hand-Atlas über alle Theile der Erde und über das Weltgebäude", was the leading German world atlas of the last three decades of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. Published by Justus Perthes of Gotha (established 1785 and still existing there) it went through ten editions from 1816 to 1944. As with many 19th century publications, an edition was issued in parts; for example, the eighth edition was issued in 32 monthly parts.

The first edition, by Stieler and Christian Gottlieb Reichard (1758-1837) was published beginning in 1817 and completed in 1823 (50 maps). After Stieler's death Friedrich von Stülpnagel (1786-1865) edited the second (1845-47) and third (1852-54) editions (both 83 maps); a fourth edition appeared 1862-64, a fifth 1866-68 (each 84 maps). (read more...)

Selected map

In 1570 (May 20) was issued, by Gilles Coppens de Diest at Antwerp, Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the "first modern atlas" (of 53 maps). Three Latin editions of this (besides a Dutch, a French and a German edition) appeared before the end of 1572; twenty-five editions came out before Ortelius' death in 1598; and several others were published subsequently, for the atlas continued to be in demand till about 1612. This is the world map from this atlas.

(read more...).

Selected biography

Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: Κλαύδιος Πτολεμαῖος; c. 90 – c. 168), known in English as Ptolemy, was a Greek-speaking geographer, astronomer, and astrologer who lived in the Hellenistic culture of Roman Egypt. He may have been a Hellenized Egyptian but no description of his family background or physical appearance exists, though it is likely he was born in Egypt.

Ptolemy was the author of several scientific treatises, three of which have been of continuing importance to later Islamic and European science. The first is the astronomical treatise that is now known as the Almagest (in Greek Η μεγάλη Σύνταξις, "The Great Treatise"). The second is the Geography, which is a thorough discussion of the geographic knowledge of the Greco-Roman world. The third is the astrological treatise known as the Tetrabiblos ("Four books") in which he attempted to adapt horoscopic astrology to the Aristotelian natural philosophy of his day. (read more...)

Some special maps

The maps below are examples of various forms of maps published in Wikimedia

Evolution of the Australian colonies, a rare example of an animated map

Iceland in the winter, an example of a satellite map

Greek territorial development, a history map

The World War II Pacific Theater as it appeared in August, 1942 - A war map, a special form of a history map

Old map, that shows Hungary and the bordering Balkan regions controlled by the Ottoman Empire, made by T. Jefferys in 1785

The Vinland map, an old map purportedly a 15th century Mappa Mundi, redrawn from a 13th century original

Notes and references

General remarks:

The WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Atlas of the World is an organized and commented collection of geographical, political and historical maps available at Wikimedia Commons. The main page is therefore the portal to maps and cartography on Wikimedia. That page contains links to entries by country, continent and by topic as well as general notes and references.
Every entry has an introduction section in English. If other languages are native and/or official in an entity, introductions in other languages are added in separate sections. The text of the introduction(s) is based on the content of the Wikipedia encyclopedia. For sources of the introduction see therefore the Wikipedia entries linked to. The same goes for the texts in the history sections.
Historical maps are included in the continent, country and dependency entries.
The status of various entities is disputed. See the content for the entities concerned.
The maps of former countries that are more or less continued by a present-day country or had a territory included in only one or two countries are included in the atlas of the present-day country. For example the Ottoman Empire can be found in the Atlas of Turkey.